Higher
by xChiyuki
Summary: After an injury ends her volleyball career, Aika Yamada places all faith of flying in a small boy with big dreams, following him to Karasuno. After a spirit-breaking game, Tobio Kageyama decides he doesn't have to rely on anyone else to achieve his goals. As the two collide, they begin to take back all of the things that they lost in order to reach the top. Kageyama/OC. Slow burn.
1. Growth

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 01: Growth

 _31 minutes… that's all Hinata had on the court._

Aika could do nothing but watch sadly as her perky friend burst into tears, claiming that he would one day defeat Tobio Kageyama, the frightening setter that had just defeated their tiny, inexperienced team. She frowned, biting her lip.

She knew what it was like to be defeated, to feel like something you love was slipping away. She knew better than anyone. Reaching down to her wrapped knee, she hesitated. Instead, she picked up her cane, the one that braced her if she could no longer walk, and practically hobbled down the stairs, towards Hinata. As she reached him, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll get 'em next time," she promised Hinata. The orange-haired boy and the black-haired boy both turned to look at her. She grinned. "It's not just about winning or losing. Having fun is a big part of it, too. As long as everyone is okay, then it was a good game."

Kageyama seemed to scoff at that, but Aika simply ignored him. Her eyes were fixed on Hinata's teary ones, the two of them sharing their look, the one that had brought them together in the first place. She smiled broadly at him, sealing their promise.

"Right," Hinata finally murmured. "Yeah! We'll be the best in the entire world!"

Aika laughed, flipping her long, red hair over her shoulders. "Hold it there, tiger. We gotta be the best in Japan first. But we'll do it. We'll rise to the top. Together."

* * *

"Shoyo Hinata! Wait!"

"Sorry, no can do, Aika! I wanna practice!"

"Shoyo! Don't run! Ow, dammit!" Aika cursed as she tripped over her school slippers. From her place on the ground, she looked up, seeing Hinata – Shoyo's – orange hair disappearing into the crowd of taller students. "Ugh. He's way too energetic for his own good…"

She stood up, brushing off her skirt as she bit her lip.

Karasuno High was a much bigger place than she thought it would be. Even though it was definitely not the best when it came to academics, it was the only place that she wanted to go to high school. It was the only place she could achieve her dream.

 _Well… it was Shoyo's dream first. I suppose that I'm imposing my own dream on him. I wanted to be the best, too, but since that won't happen, it's up to him. And I have to support him._

As well as keep him in check. For as talented and hardworking as Shoyo was, he was hard to keep up with. He was never one to rest, even if his body was absolutely exhausted. It was always the one thing about him that really irritated her.

"Excuse me…" she mumbled as she pushed her way through the crowd. She had to get to the gym, before Shoyo embarrassed himself so badly that he couldn't recover. "Sorry, please let me through."

There were too many people. Aika could feel herself getting boxed in, and she hated it. She felt as if something was suffocating her. She could feel her pulse rising and she finally screamed.

"Move you idiots!"

* * *

Almost as soon as Sawamura was finished with his speech, the door to the gym burst open.

"Shoyo Hinata, if you leave me behind one more time, I _swear_ that I will turn your bones into dust and your blood into jelly, and I will destroy you!"

All the boys whirled around to see the girl with long, wine red hair pulled up in a ponytail. She glared at Shoyo, marching right up to him and glaring up at him. Even though Shoyo was small, she was much smaller, standing at around the same level as his nose.

He shook, his face draining of whatever color it had. "S-Sorry, Aika… I got excited," he apologized nervously, shuffling his feet.

She sighed. "Geez. I'm mad 'cause you went to play without me. I thought you were finally getting the hang of controlling yourself until you can play. Instead, you're here fighting with Kageyama. You let your excitement get the best of you again. Plus, you left me in a crowded hallway. Alone."

"C'mon, Aika, I didn't mean anything by it! I just wanted to play!"

"And I thought that we agreed that we'd meet the team _before_ you started causing trouble!"

"Ah… sorry… I forgot. I got too excited again." Shoyo, for once, looked ashamed. "I'll make it up to you, I promise! I'll apologize if you want me to!"

"Shoyo…" She sighed, then lifted her cane, gently smacking him over the head. "Get back to practicing, stupid!"

Shoyo nodded eagerly. "Yes, ma'am! I'll make you proud!" He dashed off, immediately picking a fight with the black-haired boy next to him.

Glancing at the girl, Kageyama realized where he'd seen her. Her hair had been shorter, and she'd been limping, but she was definitely that girl who'd been with Hinata when he'd sworn revenge. It seemed like they'd stuck together since then, and had gone to Karasuno with the same intentions.

But there was another time, as well. Some other place he'd seen her.

Then, he remembered. After all, wine red hair wasn't very common.

"You're Aika Yamada," he murmured, just loudly enough to be heard. "You're that setter from Yukigaoka that everyone was talking about. The one whose plays carried the team to Nationals."

She frowned, her expression falling. "Once upon a time, that was me." She sighed, reaching down to her leg, like it was a habit. He noticed that there were bandages wrapped around her right knee. "I don't really get to play much anymore." She smiled self-deprecatingly, but quickly turned around to lecture Hinata when his shouting got a little too loud.

"Yamada… Oh! Didn't they have a nickname for you, too?" Sugawara asked suddenly. "Something like 'Control Queen,' wasn't it?"

Aika flushed. "Remember. It was a long time ago. But… you know my name, but I don't know any of yours," she said, her tone saying that she would rather make small talk than anything else.

"You're really loud today, volleyball club!"

Hinata and Kageyama continued to make their loud declarations of war, even as the vice principal of the school walked in, a sour look on his face. Aika sighed, crossing her arms. Somehow, she knew how it would end, even without having to see anything else.

* * *

"I'm very sorry for Hinata's actions today." Aika bowed in apology to the captain, whose name, she learned, was Sawamura. "He tends to leap before he looks, and he's a bit too energetic for his own good. I'm hoping you'll let him back into the club."

He smiled down at her sweetly, a complete change from the way he'd acted towards Kageyama and Hinata. "It's alright. I just don't like people who don't play as a team. They'll learn, but until they do, they're not on our team." He smirked slightly, looking back to the rest of the club practicing.

"I see." She mirrored his smirk. "I'm sure they won't let you down."

Sawamura smiled again, looking down at the incredibly small girl. "I know they won't. I have a lot of faith in them. So, you'll wait for them to come join us?"

She nodded. "I have to. I'm supporting Hinata. Training him. It's for my own, selfish reasons, of course, but I still can't leave him behind," she replied.

"That's what it is, is it?" He paused. "Your leg?" he suddenly blurted.

Aika hesitated for a moment, knowing exactly what it was that Sawamura was talking about. Her hand drifted down towards her leg. "It's healed, captain. Trust me, it's healed. But it will never be the same, and I will never be able to play volleyball again."

Sawamura glanced down, knowing just how hard an injury like hers was to come back from. "Well. Until you see that Hinata has become the best, you can stay," he said softly.

"Thank you, Sawamura senpai."

* * *

Kageyama bounced the volleyball up and down against the court, taking deep breaths in and out. He tried to control his heartbeat, feeling it growing as he made contact with the ball. He thought back to the look on Yamada's face as they asked her about her former name.

"I didn't know that Yukigaoka had such a good player," he blurted out of nowhere. "Especially a girl, the Control Queen. What happened to her?"

Hinata finally paused, putting down his water bottle. "She played until the beginning of second year, but she stopped after the Interhigh. I think it had to do with her leg," replied the spiker.

"Leg?"

Nodding, Hinata focused his big eyes on Kageyama. "I don't know the specifics of it. She doesn't want to talk about it." At that point, both Tanaka and Sugawara had paused as well, their gaze turning towards the freshmen and their conversation. "She asked me not to ask her, 'cause she says it's way too painful for her to remember why she doesn't play anymore."

As if remembering something, Sugawara gasped. "She still has to have bandages and a cane for a leg injury that happened almost two years ago?" His voice shook, as if it was such a horrible thought.

"Hm?" Hinata even sounded confused as everyone looked towards him.

Sugawara bit his lip. "It's just… most injuries that don't heal after a year… they do permanent damage. If she hasn't recovered by now, even with physical therapy, it's likely that she'll never be able to play again. At least, not like she did when she was still the Control Queen."

 _She'll never be able to play again._

To both Kageyama and Hinata, two freshmen who loved volleyball more than anything, those words were horrifying. They couldn't imagine the sport they loved being taken away from them, and never being able to play it again. If that happened to either of them, they wouldn't know what to do, but Yamada seemed so strong.

Looking down at the ball, Kageyama frowned. He glared at the colors, knowing that, as a setter, the ability to move around freely and jump to set the ball or even dump it over the net was the most important thing. A setter that couldn't move wasn't even a setter.

He couldn't imagine it.

"Don't pity her." All eyes turned to Hinata. "She hates that. If you pity her, she'll get mad at you. Just treat her like you would if you didn't know that. She's still a player, whether she's on the court or not."

Kageyama didn't want to admit it, but it was a lot more thoughtful than he would have been. He wouldn't let himself bring anyone else down.

* * *

Although Aika knew that Hinata wasn't ready yet, she didn't want to help him. She knew that he had a lot of potential inside of him, but he didn't know how to bring it out. There was only so much she could do for him, especially since she was nowhere near as good as she used to be.

"Excuse us."

She looked over to the two new figures who entered the gym, and frowned. They were both incredibly tall boys. One looked bored out of his mind, while the other was in awe.

"These are the other two freshmen joining us this year," Sawamura explained. He even looked short compared to the newcomers, and he already looked down on her. "Kei Tsukishima and Tadashi Yamaguchi."

Aika frowned. She'd seen them both before. They were in her class, and they seemed nice enough.

But there was something about Tsukishima that made her nervous. It might have been because he was so tall. Yet even knowing that his height worried her, she also knew that it was definitely something else.

It scared her.

She couldn't stop thinking about it, even as she left the gym. She bounced the volleyball in her hands against the cobblestone. Tsukishima scared her, and it wasn't just because of his height. It wasn't even the way he spoke, or the words he spoke.

It was the uncaring look in his eyes, even as he blocked spike after spike.

To her, it looked like volleyball meant nothing to him.

As she approached the gate, she paused. She hadn't walked home alone since she met Shoyo, and she usually always waited for him. But it was late, and she had to go home. Her brother was probably waiting for her. Not to mention that Shoyo was probably going to leave early in the morning again.

Sighing, she sent Shoyo a text, telling him that she was going to go home, and that she'd see him later. She would let him practice until Saturday.

It was all that she could do.

* * *

Saturday morning arrived quicker than Aika ever would have admitted. As she walked into the gym, much later to the game than she thought she'd be, she immediately froze.

There was already so much tension between the Hinata-Kageyama team and the Tsukishima-Yamaguchi team. She froze, seeing the same tension that there used to be between Hinata and Kageyama. But for now, it looked like the orange-black duo were a team, rather than enemies.

"Sugawara senpai." The silver-haired boy looked over to her and smiled warmly in greeting. "Why does it feel less like a practice game and more like a death match?"

He laughed nervously. "I suppose it's because Tsukishima is provoking everyone. He's got a real great attitude for it. But that won't win him a game."

"No, it won't. Especially not one against Shoyo." She glanced towards her friend. "The more excited he gets, the more powerful he is."

"Even against Tsukishima?" asked Sugawara.

As Tsukishima blocked more and more of Hinata's shots, Aika nodded. "No matter what wall is in his way, I don't think that Shoyo knows what it means to give up. He'll keep spiking until something breaks – him or his opponent."

"What if it's him?"

She shrugged. "Then he loses." Her nonchalant gaze turned towards Tsukishima, then to Kageyama. "But without Kageyama snapping out of it, they'll definitely lose. He's afraid of tossing." She frowned, some sort of sympathy coming to her face. "A setter that's afraid to set… isn't a setter. He's a coward."

Sugawara's gaze hardened at her words, but he couldn't deny that she was right. She knew what it was like to be a setter, but she was much more bitter than other people.

"You never know. Maybe things will change."

* * *

Things did change. They changed faster than Aika would have liked. So fast that even her mind could barely keep up with the rest of the game.

Kageyama and Hinata pulled off quick ball after quick ball. Even if some of them were flubbed, it was clear that they were the duo that could understand each other best. They both knew what it meant to lose, and they both knew what it felt like to want to get just one more point.

To Aika, it was bittersweet.

Her Shoyo, her best friend, was becoming a better player than she had ever expected. He was fast, with good reflexes and even better jumping ability. He was learning how to apply them to actual spikes. He was inexperienced, but he was learning. His abilities were slowly coming out, forming a brilliant attacking pattern that was all his own.

It felt like she was being left behind. She was just a setter with a bum leg, and nothing more. She couldn't ever live up to what Kageyama could do. His technique and control were beyond anything that she'd ever seen.

"He really is a genius," she murmured. Sugawara glanced at her, his gaze filled with worry. "It took a while for them to fall into a rhythm together, but they'll be a force to be reckoned with."

The vice-captain continued to look at her as she watched Hinata, with his eyes closed, spike yet another one of Kageyama's tosses, making it without being stopped by Sawamura, Yamaguchi, or Tsukishima. The room went deathly silent as they tried to process what had happened.

Aika was the first to move. She picked up her bag and turned towards the door, her eyes hidden from view.

"Yamada?" Sugawara followed her with his gaze.

She didn't turn back around. "I've seen everything that I need to. I'm leaving."

It was like he was the only one who noticed the heavy doors of the gym opening, then closing behind her, separating her from the players.

"Yamada…"

* * *

 _Hello, my penname is Chiyuki. I don't like doing author's notes very much, as I feel they ruin the continuity for those who wish to read a story in one sitting, so this may be my only one. If it isn't, this will be my longest. Any others will be to inform you of a new story being posted, as I also write in less popular categories._

 _"Higher" is a slow-burn Haikyu! story with Tobio Kageyama being paired with an OC, Aika Yamada. This romance will be probably painfully slow at points, so please bear with me. Also, despite this being a romance, I also use these stories as a platform to study characters that I have a lot of love for in a closer way. Almost every character in the series has a moment to shine, but I have chosen to flesh out many characters and present them in the way that I see them. "Higher" is simply one platform in order to do so._

 _I hope you enjoy this story. Feel free to send me PMs about anything at any time, as I mostly will not reply to reviews in this story. If you're interested in me as an author, please follow my tumblr, xChiyuki, as all news and commentary will also be there. Thank you._


	2. Apathy

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 02: Apathy

Sugawara walked away from practice with his head hung.

It'd only been a day since the Aoba-Josai match was announced, and since Kageyama was said to be the full-time setter, especially over Sugawara, who was a third year. He wouldn't lie and say that he wasn't upset, but he knew that Kageyama was much better technically than he was. Even knowing that, it still hurt to know that he wouldn't be on the court with his team.

"I heard that the lineup for Aoba-Josai was finalized today. And I heard that their demands were for Kageyama to play as a setter." He turned to see Yamada standing at the door of the Foothill Store, sipping on a can of coffee.

He nodded. "Yeah, that's true. But how'd you hear that?" he asked.

She sighed, pulling the can away from her lips. "I heard Tsukishima and Yamaguchi talking about it. Something about Aoba-Josai and Kita-First? And a grudge match between Kageyama and someone else?" She frowned. "It's not any of my business, but I was wondering how you were feeling."

"I'm doing fine. Honestly, it's really not much of a bother. Kageyama's a good setter, too. Better than me. It's… really fine…"

Trailing off at the end of his sentence, he felt his face falling. He could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. He hated feeling like that, because he knew that he was being selfish. He wanted to be the one to take a victory against such a prestigious team, but for some reason, his best suddenly wasn't enough. It would unnerve anyone, being benched for a genius freshman, whose natural talents extended beyond the two years of experience he had. His entire being was in pain.

Sugawara didn't like to think of himself as someone who was prideful, but he was still a man. He still wanted to compete and be the best at what he did, even if there was nothing he could do to match the natural talent of a genius setter.

"You don't have to lie, you know. I know how it feels." She tossed the can into the air, batting it like one would when serving a ball as she aimed towards the trash can. It clattered against the trash can, but landed cleanly at the bottom. "To have your position taken from you when you're not ready to leave the court yet."

Her words were filled with an incredible amount of pain. She reached down towards her leg, her white bandages standing out against her skin. Sugawara followed her gaze, seeing her wince as she touched her leg. Her hand curled into a fist, and she pulled it away from her leg, holding it close to her chest, like the bandages had burned her.

"Can I ask what happened to you?"

His words had left his mouth before he could even think about them. It was unlike him, but he was curious. After all, it seemed like no one else had known, even though she was such a prolific player, especially for someone on a girls' volleyball team.

She sighed. "I'm shocked that none of you asked sooner," admitted Aika, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Honestly, it's my own damn fault. I kept pushing myself too much, and going for saves or jumps that I wouldn't normally go for, especially when I became the pillar of the team in my second year. I pulled my hamstring in my right leg. It wasn't so bad at first, and it healed quickly." She frowned, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

Sugawara bit his lip, nearly hesitating. "A Grade 1, then? So it wasn't so bad?" he assumed, looking down at her bandages.

"Not really. I felt fine, so I went back to playing."

"… I'm guessing it got worse."

Nodding, Aika crossed her arms, looking upset at herself. "During the prefectural preliminaries, the final game before nationals… I did a jump serve. It was something that always worked on any opponent in any game, and it scared a lot of people. I got a lot of points from it, but I forgot that my doctor told me not to work too hard. As a result, I ended up stressing my legs too much from jumping. When I kept serving like that, I pulled it for good. It was a Grade 3 this time, and it took me out permanently. I got operated on over the break, but the surgeon said that it wouldn't let me play like I used to. If I did, I wouldn't be able to move quickly, spike, or perform a jump serve," she explained.

The silver-haired setter nodded in understanding. "I get it. You couldn't play after that. I'm sorry for asking. It must've brought up bad memories," he apologized.

"No, it's fine. I'm okay now. I'm looking for new clubs to join. Maybe I'll even join the girls' team as a manager or something."

"What about us?" Sugawara suddenly blurted. "We don't have a coach, and you know a lot about the game, and Hinata could use help, and so could everyone else, and…" He trailed off at her amused look. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

She shrugged, giggling softly. "A little." She pushed her hair out of her face again. "I'm grateful for the offer, but I don't think that I'll join your team. It looks like Shoyo doesn't need me anymore."

"What? What makes you think that?"

Aika looked rather uncomfortable, but Sugawara couldn't hide his surprise. From what he understood, Aika was practically the reason that Hinata knew whatever he did. His technical ability was nowhere near that of Kageyama's or Tsukishima's, but he knew what he was doing.

Sugawara thought back to the conversation they had the previous day, during their dinner at the Foothill Store, their first outing as a team.

* * *

"Hinata," Sugawara asked as they all sat around the Foothill Store. "You know what you're doing, but your technique is off in some ways. Where'd you learn to play?"

He didn't mean to hurt Hinata's feelings, but the orange-haired boy seemed to get downcast. He glanced around the small store, and sighed. Clearly, he was looking for something, or someone, that wasn't quite there. The look in Hinata's eyes was, for once, lost.

"I only started playing in middle school," he admitted quietly. "My first year, I saw the Tiny Giant play on television, and I wanted to be just like him. I wasn't good, though. There was no boys' team at Yukigaoka, and I didn't want to play with the girls, 'cause I wasn't a girl. I practiced by myself a lot. But at the end of my second year, I met Aika. She taught me a lot about the game, stuff that only people who played knew. She was a great coach but… she never wanted to play with me. She tossed me balls when she felt okay, but she mostly taught me the basics. She's never… missed one of my practices…"

It was clear that Hinata was missing something. It was clear to Sugawara and to everyone else that Hinata was incredibly reliant on Aika Yamada as a player. It was clear that he had learned a lot from Aika, and had expected her to be there, to tell him what he needed to fix or what he did well.

On the first day, Aika Yamada had come off as a bit of a pushover for Hinata.

But as she'd kept going to practice, she didn't talk to anyone but Sugawara, who had tried to get her to open up. She'd ensured that Hinata was practicing, and that he'd get a chance to be a part of the team, but did nothing else. She just observed.

"So, you miss her?" Sugawara guessed.

Hinata nodded, poking at his meat bun. "It's not… just that. It's just that we swore that we'd make it this year. We'd… we'd both be part of Karasuno, and we'd make it all the way to Nationals. She promised she'd be there with me. I thought she'd be here with me."

He looked so sad that even Kageyama held some pity for the usually perky and annoying orange-head. Aika was clearly the person who pushed him to become better than he had been in middle school. It must've been strange not to have his best friend since middle school with him anymore.

"Hinata." He turned to Sugawara. "I'm sure she'll be back."

Hinata managed the best smile that he could. "Yeah. Aika always comes back."

* * *

"Hinata… he needs you more than he needs anyone. He misses you a lot!" Sugawara exclaimed, looking at Aika desperately. "He wants you to see him soar, and be there when he keeps his promise! He wants you at his side!"

She shook her head, her long, red hair flying around her face. "You don't get it, Sugawara senpai. I'm a setter that can't set. I'm useless to Shoyo."

"You're his best friend. You're anything but useless," he shot back.

"Sugawara senpai." Her voice was sharp, almost cold. "With all due respect, this isn't your business whether I stand by Shoyo or not. He has the rest of Karasuno now. I am no longer all he needs."

Sugawara couldn't help but frown at her stubbornness. "But that doesn't mean he doesn't need you," he murmured.

For a moment, Aika was silent as she picked up her bag from the ground. She dropped it in the basket of her bike, grabbed the handles, and walked past Sugawara without even saying a word to him. Her hair fluttered behind her as she walked past him.

"Sorry, senpai. But unless something drastic happens, there's no need for me to be there. Shoyo can grow without my help. I'll just drag him down if I stay."

"Yamada!"

She could hear him calling for her, even after she walked away from him. She kept walking towards the road she took to get home, her bike wheels turning next to her. She paused for a moment as she saw a mop of black hair in an all-black school uniform standing next to her.

"Kageyama," she nodded towards him.

"Yamada." He paused, looking towards her. "Hinata looked for you again today."

"I was doing something else. I was a bit too busy to watch him today."

"He's a mess. He has no technical skill whatsoever, and he hits the ball entirely on instinct. He keeps receiving the balls to his face," he deadpanned. "What the hell have you been teaching him the past year? How to serve?"

She rolled her eyes. "Surprisingly, yes."

"You should be there to correct him. He's useless as is. It's all he can do to pull off those quicks we do. It won't be enough to win against Aoba-Josai."

Aika paused. "What about the rest of the team? Aren't they all good at something? They can cover for Shoyo," she protested.

"The freshmen suck at receiving, and the rest… we don't have a libero or a powerful spiker. We have Hinata and Tanaka for spiking, and that's about it."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

Kageyama froze for a moment. He'd come to her in order to try to convince her to come to practice, just so Hinata would cheer up, so he would stop looking for her every time that he wasn't being called upon to do something. The perky boy being so lost was bringing everyone down, and no one wanted to see him frown or look so sad.

He'd come to her to fix that, but he still didn't know what he could possibly say. She was stubborn, and hard to talk to. She clearly wouldn't do anything that she didn't want to do, and if she didn't want to go to the boys' team's practice, then she wouldn't.

"Just come to a game. Our game. The one against Aoba-Josai. Watch us, and you can decide if our team sucks from there." She didn't respond. "It's just a practice game, but… I'm sure that Hinata would be happy if you came. He'd probably play better if he saw you there."

It was Aika's turn to freeze. She froze, taking a deep breath as she frowned. "I'll… think about it."

Kageyama nodded. "Tuesday. Be at the gym before school. I'll make sure you can be on the bus with us," he said shortly as he turned away.

He left Aika staring after him.

 _Shoyo… you really got yourself a good partner, didn't you? The two of you are going to go far._

* * *

Kageyama stood outside the bus on Tuesday morning, waiting for Yamada to show. He was sure that she'd be there. Even though she was stubborn and practically unfriendly, she was a good friend to Hinata. She'd been there when he'd lost in middle school, and she'd stayed with him through high school.

"Kageyama… we'll be late if we don't leave soon."

He turned to Sawamura and bowed lowly. "Please! Five more minutes! I'm sure that they'll come!" he practically shouted, his voice ringing through the courtyard.

The captain smiled sympathetically. "If you say so." It was clear that he had no faith in whoever it was that their new setter was waiting for.

In fact, their new setter was losing faith quite quickly, as well. "C'mon, Yamada… you're coming, aren't you?" he murmured. No one answered him. His hands curled into fists, and he turned away to get on the bus.

"Kageyama!" He suddenly whirled around to see the redhead walking towards him, a large bag in her hand. He turned midway up the stairs of the bus, and ran to meet her. She held up the bag as he approached, a small smile on her face, one that made her look much more approachable than she did a few days prior. "Sorry I'm so late. I ran to get some stuff from the Foothill Store. Although, I guess running wasn't such a good idea. My leg is kind of acting up again."

He sighed. "Stupid. For as smart as you are, you can be dumb," he said.

"My brother says the same thing. But sometimes, he's right." She continued to walk along, her cane thumping against the ground as she limped towards the bus.

Rushing to her side, he offered her his arm. "Let me help you. You're struggling just to walk." He paused, glancing down at her leg. "You pulled your hamstring, right? Can't most people go back to competing normally after a few months?"

She paused in her walking, nearly causing Kageyama to step on her foot. "You over heard my conversation with Sugawara senpai, didn't you?" He looked away from her sheepishly. "I'm not mad. I'm just surprised that you didn't say anything prior to now."

"It's not my business. But I'm curious."

She sighed and moved to continue walking. Kageyama followed after her slowly, his pace lessening to allow her to keep up with him. "If you were listening closely, you'd know that I pulled my hamstring twice. It's just the amount of time between the injuries. I pulled it twice in less than two months," she admitted nonchalantly.

"You were back in competition after only two months?"

She nodded. "It was only a minor tear. I was back in a matter of weeks. I went back in order to keep us in the finals. For a chance to go to nationals. But it wasn't enough." She looked as if she was about to curse herself. "We lost as soon as I was taken to the hospital. I tried to be my entire team, and it wasn't enough. I learned too late what it meant to work as a team."

Kageyama's gaze shifted down. He knew what she meant when she said that she learned too late. He was the same, back in middle school.

"I understand."

And he did.


	3. Game

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 03: Game

"Aika?!"

Hinata's face made her inexplicably, unexplainably happy, for some reason that she couldn't quite understand. She didn't really understand how she'd missed him so much in only a few days, but somehow, her heart felt incredibly _full_ upon seeing him.

"Hey, Shoyo. Sorry for missing so much. I'll be better now."

The incredibly tired, incredibly nervous Hinata cheered up quickly upon seeing his best friend. He chattered excitedly to her as she took her seat next to him, listening to him as she handed out sports drinks to the team, all of whom gratefully accepted. She smiled softly at him, her gaze almost motherly, even while he began to get sick again as soon as the bus started to move.

"Did something happen to make Shoyo nervous?" was all she asked when Hinata threw up all over Tanaka. "He only gets like this before big games."

Sugawara sighed. "Everything that we say just heaps more and more pressure on him," he explained.

She giggled a little, watching as Hinata ran into the building, yelling something about how he had to go to the bathroom. "He just wants to make everyone proud. Snapping him out of it is important, though. You guys should take care of that before it gets any worse." She gently clapped Sugawara on the shoulder, a grin on her face.

The vice-captain only sighed, hanging his head as she laughed at Hinata's expense. "Yamada… You're no better than Tanaka…"

Aika grinned. "It's fine, senpai. Shoyo just needs a bit of time to turn on. If only Yamaguchi was a bit more intimidating, you could put him in for a while, just to give Shoyo some time. But that doesn't matter. Tanaka senpai, Kageyama, Tsukishima, Ennoshita senpai, and Sawamura senpai should be able to cover for him, at least until he gets into the game." She paused. "Speaking of which, aren't a few of them missing?" Sugawara glanced around as well, noticing that the freshmen were all missing, plus one of their starting second years.

He groaned, hanging his head. "Not again…"

"I'll go find them." She held out the plastic bag which, to his surprise, was still filled with drinks and snacks, despite all of the team devouring a lot of what she had on the bus. "Thanks." As she turned to walk away, she looked back. "By the way, Sugawara senpai, please call me Aika. 'Yamada' makes us sound like strangers."

* * *

Aika stumbled upon the four missing players as they faced off against two Aoba-Josai players. She laughed at the looks on their faces as Tsukishima grinned that annoying, mocking grin of his.

"What are you guys doing? Scaring the opponent?" she joked, walking up to them.

She was by far the shortest person there, standing at a shorter height than Hinata, and even shorter than the shortest person in that group, Tanaka. Yet somehow, even in her school uniform, she gave of an air so intimidating that even the Karasuno team stepped back.

Tsukishima was the only one who didn't flinch. "They were badmouthing Tanaka and the others, but when they got caught, they didn't talk so big," he drawled.

"Oh, is that so?" She turned to face the Aoba-Josai players, a serene smile on her face. "They look weak. Crushing them should be simple for you boys."

The Aoba-Josai players winced, seeing the small girl smiling so sweetly that they knew that there was some hidden agenda. She stood up straight, turning away from the boys, her smile turning into a smirk as she retreated behind the taller volleyball players.

Tanaka grinned a feral grin. "Got that damn right!" he cheered.

* * *

Kageyama and Aika walked next to each other as they approached the gym. She glanced up at him, seeing his stony face and blank expression. She grinned a little, which made him glance at her in confusion as he noticed her gaze on him.

"You look nervous. Something's bothering you." He flinched, and she saw the way that he froze for a moment. "I see. Is it because of your old teammates?" Kageyama flinched again. He cursed himself internally for showing it. "… Someone in particular? Someone who wasn't very nice to you, and probably makes you feel inferior to him?"

The black-haired setter completely froze.

 _Bingo._

Aika sighed, clapping him on the back. "You're going to psych yourself out if you worry too much. Just focus on the game, and adapt as you play. That's how you'll win," she said bluntly.

His dark eyes focused on her. She was a small girl, but she seemed to know a lot more about people than she let on. She was able to pinpoint minor weaknesses and mood changes in Hinata, Kageyama, and Sugawara, and that was only in the past few days.

Her eyes were somewhat blank, without a fire in them, but without a fire, Kageyama could see how sharp that they really were. She could see everything, whether she was trying to or not. It was probably what made her such a formidable setter back when she played. It took sharp observational skills and heaps of concentration to make plays the way that a setter did. She must've been good at it, too.

While her eyes reminded him of Tsukishima's, they were also markedly different. Her gaze was not filled with fire, but life. There was a small sparkle in her eyes, something that made her seem both wise and playful at the same time. It made him feel like he could trust what she said.

Grinning slightly at her gaze, at what he saw held within it, he nodded. "I know."

* * *

She leaned over the railing that stood above the court, her eyes staring down at the two teams as they practiced. Aoba-Josai looked well put-together, with their players looking experienced and knowledgeable. Compared to them, Karasuno, standing on the other side of the court, looked markedly less so, with less experience and knowledge with them.

However, the players of Aoba-Josai looked almost unenthusiastic, like they weren't taking the practice match seriously. After all, to them, it was just a practice match against a formerly-great school. It didn't really matter to them at all.

But to Karasuno, it meant everything.

She narrowed her eyes, watching as both teams bowed, greeting each other as they prepared to play. She could see Hinata shaking as he stood on the court, his figure much smaller than anyone else's on the court as she stood between Sawamura and Tanaka.

 _They clearly weren't able to help him much… his nerves are getting to him._

Point after point went in Aoba-Josai's favor, each of them more ridiculous than the next. Hinata managed to trip into his teammates, the net, the referee, and even fell flat on his face while nothing was tripping him. Each of the points was clearly salvageable, and they could have been taken back by the Karasuno team. They weren't points that were far out of their reach.

It was just that Hinata was far too nervous.

He was trembling as he stood at the service line, his wide eyes on the ball in his shaking hands. His knees were knocking together, and he looked smaller than ever. It was clear by the looks on the rest of his team's face that they didn't have much faith in his ability to even serve properly. Even he didn't look like he had much faith in himself.

Aika's grip on the railing tightened. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she studied his serving position, the one he was slowly moving into as he trembled.

 _Come on, Shoyo. It's just like I taught you. Toss, keep your eye on it, and hit it with enough power to bring it up and over the net. It's simple for us. You can—_

Her thoughts stopped wherever they were in that moment, as the ball made contact with the back of Kageyama's head. Aika's eyes went wide at the looks on everyone's faces.

 _Crap._

She turned quickly and raced down the stairs towards the court. She just hoped that Hinata would still be alive when she got to there, since she managed to catch a glimpse of Kageyama's face. He didn't look happy at all. In fact, she could've sworn that there was fire wherever he stood.

As she managed to reach the court, she saw Kageyama looming over Hinata, speaking in a soft voice to him. Hinata seemed to be growing even smaller as Kageyama spoke to him. She sighed in relief, knowing that the orange-head would be fine. In fact, a talk like that from Kageyama might have been exactly what Hinata needed to get himself back to normal.

"Well, looks like Kageyama scared Shoyo back to normal."

From the sidelines, Sugawara looked at her as she joined the rest of the team. "Eh? What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

She giggled, looking to Hinata being lectured by Tanaka. "They have the right idea. Shoyo will snap out of it under one of three conditions. He has to get scared, get mad, or get excited. Trust me when I say that they all work equally well." She grinned as the whistle sounded for the second set to begin.

"I see. Looks like both getting scared and excited happened."

Aika nodded. "Yes. And now, Shoyo will perform better than you could have imagined," she admitted.

At that moment, Tsukishima barely managed to receive the ball, wincing as it bounced off his arm just a little off. Her eyes narrowed, seeing his poor receiving skills. He seemed to be aware of it as well, but he didn't break concentration.

"Although… the team isn't perfect. They're making a lot of mistakes."

Sugawara glanced at her. He saw that her eyes had somehow sharpened as she followed the ball, followed each player's reaction to the ball and what it did. She didn't even flinch when Kageyama and Hinata pulled off their insane quick attack. All she did was watch, keeping her eyes moving as the ball flew all around the court, bouncing from player to player.

She made comments here and there, each of them about the team or the play. She was nearly always right in what she said, and it was nearly always something that Sugawara himself was thinking. He found himself nodding along to whatever she said, agreeing whole-heartedly.

"I feel like we need to have some relationship counseling in this team," she said at one point. At another, she remarked, "Tsukishima needs to fix his attitude, or else." Then, "If Shoyo could actually aim his spikes, that'd probably help, although knowing him, it might not."

Everything she said made sense.

The only thing that didn't was when she mumbled, "Something's off." He looked at her, but she never elaborated on what she meant. She simply shook her head, muttering that he didn't need to worry about it. At least, not yet.

Finally, after the second set went in Karasuno's favor, she spoke up while the players were huddled around the bench. "Kageyama." He looked sharply at her, but she was looking elsewhere, at the Aoba-Josai players who were surrounding the bench as they spoke about losing the set. "The setter. Number five. He's not their actual setter, is he?" she guessed softly.

His eyes widened. "W-What… How did…" He was at a loss for words, as was the rest of Karasuno. It seemed like number five fit perfectly into the Aoba-Josai lineup, with few to no huge errors that someone who was normally on the bench would make.

"I'm not sure how I know. It's just something that's been bothering me." She paused, glancing over to the opposing team, her sharp eyes trained on the boy with fluffy, brown hair. "They work like a machine. One with a lot of practice and a lot of experience. All of them make very standard, very textbook plays. They don't seem to have any truly exceptional talent, save for their higher levels of experience. But even the best machines have some crazy engineer who makes sure they keep working well. It's like number five is the one cog that's out of place in this machine. Like he's subbing in for someone much bigger."

Kageyama hesitated for a moment, but nodded. "You're right. Someone isn't here. They're missing their leader. For our sake, I hope that he doesn't show," he admitted to her quietly, although it wasn't as if the others couldn't hear him.

As if on cue, girls started screaming, their shrieks slicing through the air as they reached the Karasuno team. Everyone turned to see a tall boy with chocolate brown hair. It swirled, sticking out in all directions. He wore the Aoba-Josai jacket, his voice light and airy.

"I see…" Kageyama looked to Aika, but didn't turn. "Toru Oikawa, isn't it? He's pretty famous in the high school division of this prefecture, isn't he?"

The black-haired boy nodded. "He's an aggressive setter with a lot of ability. He's no genius, but he's got a lot of talent and power. Even so, his personality is awful. Maybe even worse than Tsukishima's." He gritted his teeth, his entire face darkening.

Aika's gaze continued to stay on Oikawa, studying his face, his body language, his mannerisms. Everything about him made her blood boil. He was a liar, and that much was clear. Behind his perfectly kind façade, there was some darkness within him. She couldn't tell exactly where it stemmed from, but she could see that his smile never reached his eyes. Instead, it only masked the emptiness that showed in his eyes. It was like nothing bothered him, like he thought he was untouchable.

"This guy pisses me off." Everyone looked to Aika once more. "He's a scary one, that's for sure. He can probably see a lot of what goes on, and make plays based on that. He has long, thin fingers and large palms, which gives him an advantage when it comes to technique, and power when it comes to spiking. The only thing that he's really lacking in is his leg strength, but he can make up for that with height and observational power. He's smart. And the look in his eyes tells me that he thinks he's the best on the court… and he can probably back it up."

She was talking a lot more than she had ever talked before. Her voice was soft, but it carried the weight of her words. And Kageyama knew that she wasn't wrong. Everything that she said about Oikawa was correct, so spot on that it was almost scary.

Even about his eyes.

There was always some unpleasantness in his gaze, something that couldn't be hidden.

"Either way, just play as you normally would," she advised. "He won't join the game until he's done warming up, and who knows how long that could take. Until then, take as many points as you can, 'cause once he's in, we'll have to adapt our strategy."

Hinata beamed at her. "You said 'we,'" he mumbled. She flushed, and looked down, her hair falling into her face. He patted the top of her head, his eyes showing a gentleness that the team hadn't seen in the energetic middle blocker before. "I'm glad." He smiled widely, and her face flushed.

"Shut up… go back to the game, stupid!" she shouted, her face red.

Hinata laughed loudly, all his nervousness completely gone. Kageyama watched as they interacted, the brightly colored girl and the boisterous boy, and he almost smiled. It felt like it was natural to have her with the team.

He definitely didn't regret bringing her.


	4. Ace

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 04: Ace

The game went quickly, with the boys of Karasuno making sure to take heed of Aika's advice. They scored as many points as they could, with about twenty-five minutes passing with forty-four plays ending in points. The game was fast-paced, an almost desperate air coming from both sides. It was down to the wire, with match point towards Karasuno.

"Oikawa's going in now," muttered Takeda, the kind teacher who had allowed Aika to stay at the bench as his "assistant coach."

The girl nodded, looking towards the advisor and temporary coach. "I just hope it doesn't psych the boys out. They've gotten into a rhythm, and Oikawa's a new variable." Takeda and Shimizu, the boys' manager, nodded, understanding exactly what was at stake here.

Takeda crossed his arms and frowned. "I don't like it," he admitted.

Oikawa's first serve, a powerful jump serve, aimed right towards Tsukishima. It bounced off his arms, causing him to flinch as it hit the railing with a loud clang.

"No way…" Aika's eyes widened. "A jump serve that strong… and he controlled where it went? He's crazy…" Takeda and Shimizu both looked to Aika, as if they were asking her to explain. "It's… it's just that being able to do that requires a lot of stamina and technique, a balance between powerful and controlled, and it's incredibly hard to do… I haven't seen a high school student who's able to do something like that. It was aimed so precisely, too…"

Takeda's frown grew even deeper as the next serve was also aimed right towards Tsukishima, bouncing off of his arm again, earning Aoba-Josai another point. It was almost tied up, and with Oikawa serving and no libero, the chances of receiving the serve successfully rode completely on whether or not Tsukishima would be able to get the ball into the air.

He didn't have to have a perfect receive, but he had to at least be able to hit it back into the air, preferably on their side of the court.

"Change the rotation a little," she mumbled. "Sawamura is our best chance."

As if the team could hear her, Sawamura immediately ordered the rest of the players to go further towards the edges, so he could have more of a chance to receive the serve. He stood confidently in the center of the players, glaring at the other side of the net.

Sugawara, who sat next to Aika, continued to glance at her. She continued to be right about everything, one step ahead of the players themselves.

Something was different about her at that moment. She had always been able to read each player like a book, which would be a dangerous skill to face. She was more talkative than usual, though, and it seemed like her normally apathetic expression was gone from her face. Her eyes were filled with a fire that wasn't usually there. It was a fire that Sugawara recognized.

Aika really did love volleyball, even if she no longer played. She still loved the thrill of it, and she knew what she was doing. It was almost comforting to know that there was a hint of the Aika that may once have existed back when she was a player.

She was smart about the game and the players. It was something that their team needed. They needed someone who could teach them in ways that they couldn't teach herself.

However, for all her smarts, even she hadn't been able to predict what happened next. Her fiery eyes went as wide as everyone else's as Oikawa aimed another pinpoint serve towards Tsukishima. It seemed like she'd frozen in place as the play continued, with Tsukishima finally being able to return the serve.

But it was all he could do just to keep it in the air. He couldn't control where it went as it flew right back to Oikawa, who allowed his team to set it up. Number six leapt for it, but that was when life seemed to come back to Aika.

"Our rotation has no blocking power!" Sugawara realized, panic filling his voice.

She shook her head, her eyes shimmering with excitement. "We don't need power. We just need a single touch. That'll change it back to our favor… just one touch."

Once again, she was ahead of the players themselves. It was like she'd seen Hinata leap for it, jumping higher than ever, his hand outstretched so he could reach the ball.

It thudded as it bounced off his fingertips. Sugawara gaped, seeing the ball flying in the air rather than hitting the court. Almost immediately afterwards, Hinata sprinted, crossing the court within a matter of moments.

"The ball is the only thing that can catch Shoyo," muttered Aika. "It's the only thing that can touch him."

Sugawara heard her words, but didn't stop to think about them as Hinata spiked the ball. It rushed towards Oikawa, slamming down in the corner behind him. It was too fast for Oikawa to even move, even think, as the point was counted.

Karasuno had won.

Aika stood, gathering her bag. Her hair fell into her face as she stared at her feet that took her away from the bench. "Simple. Sloppy, but simple," were the words that she muttered while walking away from the Karasuno bench.

"Yama—I mean, Aika?"

She paused, looking back to Sugawara, the one who had called her name. He nearly gasped, seeing that the fire in her eyes had extinguished almost as fast as it had started. "As amazing as your team was today, you made a lot of mistakes. Be sure to fix those before any actual tournament. If you don't improve on those mistakes, you'll never beat Toru Oikawa in a full best of three match." She sighed, looking at her phone, checking the time. "I'll wait on the bus. I'm sure there's some team stuff you guys want to take care of," she mumbled, turning to walk out of the gym.

He couldn't say anything to her. He was still trying to understand what had just happened. Not just in the game, but the sudden change, then reversion, he'd seen in Aika. She'd been so into the game, watching it with intent and concentration so rare in those who no longer played.

But that fire and concentration had died as soon as the game ended.

And when the game ended, she said 'your' team. Not 'we,' like she had only a few minutes earlier.

* * *

As nice as Takeda's speech at the end of the game was, Kageyama wished that he could have heard something from someone who actually knew the game. He was grateful for the kind words, for the encouragement from an adult that he'd impressed. He liked hearing that he'd done a good job, hearing that he would continue to grow.

But somehow, it wasn't enough.

He wanted to hear what he had to learn, what he had to take away from the game. He wanted to continue to grow, not be told that he was good. He needed to keep growing, or else he'd never be able to get better and eventually grow strong enough to defeat whoever was standing in his way.

"Sensei," he called. "Where's Yamada? Did she leave already?"

Takeda's eyes widened, then he looked down, looking almost upset. "She went to the bus already. She got up as soon as the whistle blew, like she was done watching as soon as the game ended. I don't think that she enjoyed herself much," he admitted.

"That's not true." Both of them looked to Sugawara, who was watching them intently. "I think she enjoyed herself more than she wants to admit. Honestly, I think she's trying to force herself away from volleyball, because she doesn't want to experience the pain of never being able to play. But she still loves it. I can tell by the way she looked when she saw your final play, Kageyama."

Kageyama looked down. "I see. Did she say anything before she left?" he wondered, his voice quiet.

Nodding, the vice-captain smiled, like he knew why Kageyama was asking. "She said that there's still a lot to improve on before we can take Oikawa on in a full match. She also called it sloppy, but she seemed to enjoy watching."

"I see."

Sugawara's smile grew gentler. "You and Hinata should go see her when you're done doing whatever it is you need to do. After all, Hinata brought her back to volleyball once, and you did the same today. Maybe you can convince her to stay," he advised, a kind smile on his gentle face.

Kageyama nodded. "Yeah," he mumbled.

* * *

Aika looked out the window, noticing just how long it had been since she'd gotten to the bus. Whatever the boys were doing, it was taking a long time. She sighed, pushing herself out of the bus to look for them.

It wasn't that she was concerned. It was just that she wanted to go home.

She walked back towards the gate of Aoba-Josai, only to freeze when she heard a familiar, grating voice that somehow managed to make her grit her teeth in anger. Her hands curled into fists as she stayed hidden behind the brick walls that surrounded to the high school.

"Let's play our best from the beginning next time. There's a lot we haven't shown you yet, and there's a lot we're going to improve by then. Including our serves," Oikawa declared, smiling serenely at the Karasuno team.

His intentions were clearly not to congratulate Karasuno for a well-played game. He was clearly bitter about having lost to a duo of freshmen, one of whom could barely control his attacks and the other who he clearly had an intense grudge against for some unknown reason. Oikawa was the type of person to take a loss hard, and continue to work for revenge against whoever had bested him. Now, Karasuno was on his hit list, and he was going to make that very clear.

Aika hated people like him.

His smile stayed on his face as his words grew more threatening and his voice grew darker. "You're powerful, but you can't receive well, which is a clear loss for you. I'm not the only powerful server in the prefecture, and definitely not the only one you'll face. Let's meet at the Inter-high preliminaries. Don't get eliminated before we do, okay?" he drawled. "After all, I want to crush my junior setter in an official match, where everyone can see."

"Don't think it'll be so easy, Oikawa." He dropped his hand back to his side to look at Aika, who had come to stand at the gates, glaring at the Aoba-Josai captain. "They're rough around the edges right now, but you're doing two things wrong. Overestimating your own ability and underestimating theirs."

He scoffed at her. "I saw you at the match, didn't I? May I ask who you are, little girl?" he asked as sweetly as he could, but with a dark look as she walked forwards, looking up at him.

Even though he loomed over her, she showed no fear. Instead, her dark eyes met his. They were practically fighting with their glares, lightning connecting the two of them as a storm raged in the background. Neither of them wanted to back down.

Finally, Aika stood, grinning a wild grin. "Aika Yamada, and I'll be the one to ensure that these boys come back even better than this. I'm gonna make you eat your words. No, wait. I'll shove them so far up your ass, you'll taste them for weeks."

"Oh? Those are strong words from such a small girl," Oikawa shot back.

"And you have a big mouth for someone who's going to lose again." She moved past him to stand next between Hinata and Tsukishima. She should have looked rather out of place with her height, but somehow, she fit right in next to them. "We'll fight you next time, and we'll see who's the better team."

Oikawa grinned darkly, glaring down at her. He turned, his glare still trained on Aika, and began to walk away. "It'll be us. I guarantee it." He waved. "I look forward to seeing you at the tournament. Good luck improving in such a short amount of time."

Gritting her teeth, Aika turned as well. "We're wasting time here. Let's go," she demanded, her voice filled with so much authority that the boys couldn't help but follow her.

* * *

Her agreement to join had been on a whim. Oikawa had just been pissing her off with his aggravating words, ones that had seemed to flow so easily from his lying mouth. He was the type of guy that pissed her off most. She couldn't help it.

"Hey, Aika." She looked at Hinata. "Are you really going to join us? And teach us, like you taught me back in middle school?"

She sighed. "No," she deadpanned. Hinata's face fell at first, but she grinned at him, a new spark of determination in her eyes. "I'm going to teach you much differently. After all, you can handle new techniques and new plays, can't you? Aren't you going to beat the shit out of Aoba-Josai? Aren't you going to make it to nationals?" she demanded.

A smile reached his face. "Of course!"

"Then we're learning the hard stuff now. If you can't keep up, I'm not waiting for you!"

Hinata cheered in response to her declaration, and the upperclassmen of the volleyball team smiled at the two who sat in the back of the bus. They knew that they had gained a powerful ally in Aika Yamada, and they were glad to have someone with them, who could at least help them for now.

The only two that remained were the Guardian and the Ace.

Takeda even smiled. He knew that there was someone that, if Aika could team up with him, could make the Karasuno coaching staff even more powerful.

* * *

Aika sat at her desk, studying the notes she'd hurriedly written on the Karasuno team. She'd written about each player, with their strengths and weaknesses in each area scribbled next to their names. Each player had a page on their stats, but there was something missing.

She frowned, pulling a post-it from the giant pile of post-its that lay on her desk. She quickly scribbled a few words on it, then stuck it right on top of the papers.

 _Power spiker_ and _libero_ were written in bold letters.

* * *

The next day, she walked through the doors of the gym, only to see Kageyama, Hinata, and a boy she didn't know standing around one side of the court. The boy had spiked hair, his bangs a different color than the rest of his hair. He was short, with an almost wild gaze to him.

Her eyes narrowed, and she looked at him. She could see bruises all over his arms, the only part of his body that was bare, and she could already guess what position he played.

Aika stepped into the gym. "So, we _do_ have a libero after all," she drawled, leaning against the wall, her notebook tucked under her arm.

For a moment, the attention was on her, but then, the rest of the volleyball club filed in. She watched, and pulled out her notes. She titled the next clean page with the name that Sawamura had uttered, the one that corresponded to the small, hyperactive boy.

 _Yu Nishinoya, libero._


	5. Resolve

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 05: Resolve

"So, what's the deal with your libero?"

Sugawara sighed, knowing exactly what Aika was referring to. "Asahi Azumane," was his only reply. "Our Ace. And Nishinoya's closest friend and greatest ally on the court." He looked down sadly, his memories still taking a toll on him.

Looking at the door, which Nishinoya had disappeared out of only a few minutes ago, she sighed. "Male pride," she mumbled. "You boys are all the same. Stubborn in the head, and you refuse to back down. Was it a lost game? Where your Ace failed? Or was it your libero? Or even you?" Her eyes pierced him as she turned to him.

Sugawara shivered. She was right on the mark again, but this time, the truth hurt even more than he would like to admit. It was the fault of everyone involved, and things got too out of hand too quickly. He couldn't have done anything to help.

"You're thinking something like, 'I could've done more for them,' right?" And there were her freakishly accurate guesses again. "Stop thinking like that. All it'll do is give you a headache 'cause you think of what could've been. It's not your problem anymore. Fix what's wrong with you first. You can't help everyone, and you shouldn't want to. Each person has to solve their problems by themselves."

She pushed herself off the wall and waved, going down to the Foothill Store in order to get the boys some drinks and snacks for during practice, just in case they lost their energy too quickly. He stared after her, somehow knowing that she was right.

He just hated that she was.

* * *

 _Asahi Azumane, power spiker (aka Ace)._

The name on the top of the paper taunted her.

She had said to Sugawara that everyone had to solve their own problems, but it was bothering her much more than she would have liked. The team was splintered, with all of their fragments scattered all over the place. There was so much tension that there wouldn't be any possible way for them to put the team together again until the tension was resolved.

"Asahi Azumane, huh? And Tanaka said that he's a senpai, so he's a third year…" she mumbled to herself, staring intently at the page.

The heading was all she had filled out that day at practice. She'd gotten a full page about Nishinoya and added to each person's stats, but the only thing she knew about the Ace was his name and that he had quit going to practice after something happened involving him, Sugawara, Nishinoya, and a game that had been unwinnable and spirit-breaking.

She sighed. It was none of her business, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to help, to give them the push that they needed in order to get back to normal, back to being a team.

Closing her notebook, she stood from her desk.

That was more than enough volleyball for the day.

* * *

The next day, during lunch, Aika found herself standing in front of class 3-3. She'd asked around, searching for Asahi Azumane, and eventually got a number from a girl who was in his class. The girl had seemed surprised, but was glad to give the first year the class number.

She hesitated before the door, wondering if it was any of her business, whether she was really allowed to just butt in like she was about to. After all, she was an outsider in the volleyball team. She was just a girl who decided to help out a team that needed some help. She had no business interfering with their relationships with each other or their fate as a member of the Karasuno team. It wasn't her place to comment on any of those things.

"Aika?" She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the freshman duo standing behind her. Hinata grinned widely. "Are you here to see the Ace, too?"

She suddenly shook her head, turning away from the classroom. "No. Just trying to push some things back into place. He's inside if you wanted to talk to him," she replied easily, moving past the two. She paused suddenly, looking to Kageyama, whose piercing gaze was trained on her.

Her eyes widened as his narrowed.

He could see right through her.

It freaked her out a little, and she walked away, just as quickly as she possibly could. She didn't like how much his eyes reminded her of her own. How much they seemed to know with only a single glance. It was like he could tell that she was lying.

She bit her lip as she made her escape, not looking back at Kageyama, turning the corner and pushing herself against the wall. She didn't know why she didn't just return to her classroom. Maybe it was still a sense of desperation, but there was something else.

It was more like she needed to know what happened to Asahi Azumane.

"Aren't you going to play, too?" she could hear Hinata ask. "I want to be the next Ace, so I have to see you, the Ace, play."

She could practically hear the sadness in Azumane's voice as he replied, "Sorry, but I'm not the Ace."

That sadness wasn't the sadness of someone who'd had their sport stripped away from them by physical means, like injury or just an inability to play. It was more the sadness of someone whose spirit had been completely and entirely crushed, so much that they hated themselves, and that hatred reflected onto the sport. He wasn't refusing to play because he couldn't. He was just scared to play.

Her hands clenched into fists. She quickly followed him, walking down the hallway behind him. Her eyes trained on his broad back. His figure was much taller than hers, but he was slouching, like the words that Hinata spoke injured him.

He could still play. He was walking just fine. His wrists were intact, as was the rest of his body. The only things that had been injured were his pride and his confidence.

They reached the stairwell, and Aika froze at the top of the stairs. She could understand him, but she couldn't allow herself to accept his reasoning. After all, he still had something that she did not.

"Azumane senpai," she finally called. He turned around, stopping halfway down the flight of stairs that she stood atop. His big, brown eyes stared up at her in confusion. From where she stood, she was tall, powerful. "I'm Aika Yamada. I'm working with the volleyball team. Your team."

He froze, then looked down to his school shoes. "They're not my team anymore," he mumbled.

Her eyes narrowed. "That's funny, 'cause they still think of you as a teammate. Especially that little libero, Nishinoya senpai." His head snapped up at the name. "They all want you to come back. The team needs you. They're falling apart."

He shook his head. "They have others," he protested weakly.

"But none like you. You played volleyball with Sugawara senpai and Sawamura senpai for two years, then you just up and left them? What kind of person does that?"

Her words were sharp, and they clearly had an effect on him. They were unnecessary and cold, but there was no other way for her to get through to him. He'd only stubbornly deflect niceties, and she couldn't afford to waste any time.

"I…" he trailed off.

"Stop running. So, you got blocked a few times, so what? Everyone gets blocked. There's a wall on the other side of every net, and passing it is just part of playing the game. If you give up, that means you're trapped on the other side of the wall while the rest of your team passes. They'll leave you behind if you wait too long."

"I know that." His own hands curled into fists. "I know, but I just… I can't do it anymore. We lost that game because I kept calling for the toss. I kept trying to spike, over and over and over again, but they kept falling to our side of the court. Yet for some reason, they didn't blame me. I can't understand why…"

Aika sighed. "Because you're the Ace. Your job is to call for the toss," she murmured. "No one would blame you for doing your job."

Azumane continued to hesitate. "I can't face them anymore. I left. I don't deserve to come back. I can't play volleyball anymore."

"With all due respect, senpai, shut up." He looked at the tiny freshman girl, whose head was hung, her hair falling into her face. "You still have the full use of your body, don't you? If you have any love for volleyball left in you, then I think you're an idiot for quitting. You have no idea… how it feels to not be able to play. You may have lost your confidence in yourself, but that can come back. What can't return is your physical ability. As long as you have that, you can play. Stupid."

She turned away, feeling tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She didn't want this weak senpai to see her cry. He didn't deserve that. He didn't need to know what had happened to her. He was too stubborn and too blind to see that he could return to the team without a fuss.

Unlike her.

She could never stand on a court again.

* * *

Aika sat on the sidelines of the gym, watching as the chaos of the Karasuno team continued. The gym seemed even louder than usual, thanks to the addition of the hyperactive Nishinoya, whose energetic nature was only a match for Hinata's.

She continued to take notes on Nishinoya, pleased to finally see someone who was wholly dedicated to the art of receiving. It was rare to have someone so talented, who moved so naturally in order to save a ball, to keep it from touching the ground.

Although, she only wished he could be a little quieter.

"Aika, why am I not 'Nishinoya _senpai_ ' in your notes?!" he practically yelled in her ear. "I am your senpai, aren't I?!"

Rolling her eyes, she deftly added "senpai" after his name, right on the top of his page. "Better?" she asked, sarcasm leaking into her tone as she quirked an eyebrow at him.

His eyes seemed to sparkle. "I have such a cute kohai! I'm so blessed!" he sniffed, wiping away tears that leaked from his eyes. Aika pushed herself away from him, moving to stand near Sugawara as he laughed at Nishinoya.

"Don't worry, Aika," Sugawara said. He gently patted her on the head. "Nishinoya is always like that. You'll get used to him."

She sighed. "God, I hope not."

Their noisy practice was quickly interrupted by an overly-excited Takeda, who quickly announced that, at the end of Golden Week, a week-long training camp that took place on a vacation week, they would have a practice game against an old rival school of Karasuno, called Nekoma, nicknamed "Cat."

Aika grinned viciously, her hands clutching at her notebook. Her heart rate was increasing quickly, and she could already tell that this match would be something to behold.

They still needed practice, and a lot of it, but they were definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Asahi looked down at the two freshmen who had so eagerly come to talk to him, despite the third year hallway being a little scary for them. They'd faced him with such confidence that he was almost jealous. Especially of the tiny one with bright, orange hair.

"I can't see past the walls anymore," he finally admitted, his words slow and unsure. He kept his gaze trained on his feet, like his shame was keeping him trapped. "I keep thinking that I'll get shut out again. It's scary and destructive, but it's all I can think about."

For a moment, the two were silent at his words.

"Sorry for sounding so cocky, but…" The orange-haired one hesitated, looking almost upset. "I get it. I'm small, and I'm not very good at anything but spiking, so I get blocked a lot. I hate it. But now, I have him," he pointed to the taller, black-haired one, who only looked sour, "tossing to me, and I can get past anyone. Whenever he tosses to me, I see the entire court open up."

 _I can sort of remember what that looks like._

"And then, when I spike, I can feel the ball hit my palm, like it fits right there. It's the greatest feeling in the world!"

 _Yeah… I remember that feeling, too._

"And even if I make a mistake, Aika is there to cheer me up. She tells me that I'll get it next time, and she tells me that I can fix things and get even better. She tells me that every fall is a chance to get back up even stronger."

 _Aika? Isn't that the girl from yesterday?_

"I'm kind of jealous of you, and I know she would be, too. You're tall and strong, and you can still play well. You're not like me or Aika. We don't have those things, although I can still play. But you have those things. Even though you've gotten blocked, haven't you scored points? Probably more than you blocked, right?"

 _They sound just like her words._

"That's why you're the Ace, isn't it?"

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. But Kageyama was the only one who moved. Asahi simply stared at the small boy, whose eyes were filled with a fire that he'd thought had long been extinguished from his own. It was only after Kageyama spoke up that Asahi's gaze moved.

"You can't win by yourself, but you don't have to. There's five other people on the court." He paused. "I just learned this myself, so I shouldn't lecture you. Sorry."

Their words rattled around in his brain, reminding him of what had once been. He knew exactly what both Hinata and Kageyama spoke of. The teamwork, the view, the feeling… He knew them all very, very well. He knew better than he wanted to admit.

He found the day slipping by faster than he thought it word, as he was completely distracted by the words that were echoing in his mind. He was so lost in thought that he found himself standing in front of the gym doors, listening to the sound of the ball bouncing off the floor, off the walls, and off limbs. It was a familiar, comforting sound.

Peering in, he could hear the voices of both Kageyama and Hinata echoing, yelling as they tossed and spiked, practicing a duo attack.

"You're closing your eyes again, Shoyo!" he heard a feminine yell, the voice of the short girl that had confronted him on the stairs. "I told you, aim!"

"Sorry, sorry! I'll try again!"

"Fine, hurry up! Before the others come in!"

 _I miss it. I do miss it._

* * *

Aika could hear the voices of Azumane and Sawamura. She hid her bitter smile. Everything was falling back into its proper place, but she was still somewhat upset. After all, he still hadn't learned. He had to be taught.

He could still play.


	6. Set

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 06: Set

"There's something missing." Shimizu looked towards Aika, who hesitated. "As much as I want to help, there's certain things that come with experience, and that's one thing I don't have."

Shimizu hummed a little, looking towards the door. "I think that'll be fixed soon. Takeda sensei is working really hard to get someone to help us," she replied, her words slow and soft. "He said that your strengths will work well with each other."

Humming, Aika focused her sights on the boys as they practiced. "I hope so. They need someone who knows the game better than I do." Shimizu looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I can only identify people and their strengths. But there are people out there who know how to coach those strengths out of them."

"I see…"

"For example, I see that Nishinoya is a great libero. He tends to move purely on instinct, without thinking about what he does. It's all reactionary." Aika leaned forwards, her eyes narrowing. "But there are some whose movements, although practiced, are not refined. They're powerful and textbook, but they have no passion. There are also those who are the opposite. Each person should have their own style of play, but be able to perform textbook moves. What we need is someone who can teach those things."

Shimizu glanced at the girl, seeing her determined gaze. "What about you?" she asked quietly.

Shaking her head, Aika sat up straight. She crossed her arms and glanced at the door, where Takeda had disappeared, yelling that he'd be back soon only twenty minutes ago. "I'm no coach. I lack the experience needed to be a coach. I suppose… I'm more of a trainer. I can help cover weaknesses, but I can't fix them. If I'm a Band-Aid, then a coach is surgery. We need both," she explained.

The elder of the two girls nodded, following Aika's gaze towards the door. Footsteps and voices that sounded much older than those of any student echoed outside the door. They were loud enough so both of them could hear it.

"I think we'll have our answer soon."

A smile came over Aika's face.

"I agree."

* * *

Coach Keishin Ukai, grandson of former coach Ikkei Ukai, had brought the Karasuno Neighborhood Association with him. They were former Karasuno team players, who had been regulars on the team while they were high school students.

Aika could tell that they would be tough opponents by the way they carried themselves. The one with glasses, Shimada, didn't appear to be very strong, but based on how he stretched his hands, he was clearly the one with the most control and knowledge. The most powerful was Uchizawa, so he was most likely the spiker. The other two were definitely middle blockers, as they didn't appear to be very strong, but were clearly good at reacting and controlling the ball.

With only four players, the Neighborhood Association also was able to take Sugawara, Nishinoya, and Azumane, who had shown up outside the gym, and had then been dragged onto the court by an irate Ukai. Although, he didn't do much to protest. He simply avoided Nishinoya's eyes, an entire war going on in his mind that was obvious through the way he carried himself. Sugawara had volunteered to join the opposing team, much to Kageyama's chagrin. When the freshman had questioned him, the senior had simply replied that he was doing what was best for the team, not for him.

Aika watched in silence as the game began and the tension between the three players on the Neighborhood Association began to increase. Sugawara was trying his best, showing off the amount of experience he had and the technique that came with it. However, Kageyama was able to match him blow-for-blow, tossing expertly to his spikers.

"This might be a tougher game than the boys think it'll be," Aika murmured as she narrowed her eyes. Shimizu and Takeda, who had taken a seat next to the girls, both turned to her. "They have a lot of experience. These idiots don't. Plus, the Neighborhood Association has Azumane senpai."

Takeda followed her gaze to the Ace, who hadn't moved all game. "But he's not doing anything," he replied.

She frowned. "I know. But he's the Ace. And he loves volleyball, no matter what he says. He's feeling like he's been backed into a corner, and he's lost faith in his own abilities." Her frown suddenly curled upwards, and she rested her head on her palm. "He's being offered a hand out of that corner right now. If he takes it, then there's no way that our team can win."

Both Takeda and Shimizu stared at her, perhaps wondering just why she seemed to be so pleased that their team, with her friend on it, would lose. If she saw, she didn't acknowledge them. She simply watched as Azumane fought against his inner demons, struggling to find his resolve.

"He's lucky. He can come out of his corner, and rejoin his teammates on the court," Aika murmured, her voice turning wistful as she watched Kageyama and Hinata make one of their crazy quick attacks. "He should realize that."

Takeda's gaze softened as he continued to keep his eyes on her.

For a while, he couldn't figure out the young girl, who had so suddenly joined the team without much of a reason at all. She'd seemed to come out of nowhere with a lot of secrets, but a lot of passion for a sport that she could no longer play. At first, she'd seemed like she was only soft on Hinata, and no one else. She'd been brutally honest to every other player.

But seeing her now, knowing how much love she held for the team, Takeda understood her a little bit better. She cared much more than most people would think that she did.

She cared enough to let her team lose, just so they could learn, just so they could grow. She cared enough to know that the only way to become stronger was to fight against opponents that they couldn't beat. She cared enough to tell them exactly what they needed to fix in order to improve.

She cared enough to return to a place she'd lost her ability to stand on, so others could.

* * *

Nishinoya lunged forwards, hand outstretched as he dove to retrieve the ball that fell after being spiked against a three-person block.

Nothing else in his mind mattered. All that mattered was that he'd saved the ball from hitting the court.

* * *

Sugawara remembered the perfect toss, the one that Azumane had called for so many times before. The one that they all knew by heart, the one that had won them so many points. He reached up, his hands positioned to toss, his brow knitted in anticipation.

 _A high toss, slightly away from the net. That's his favorite._

Sugawara tossed the ball, watching it arch in that perfect, familiar way.

* * *

Azumane leapt into the air, no hesitation in his eyes as he lifted his hand. He could see the view again, the view that he'd so desperately wanted to remember. He'd forgotten how exhilarating that it was to feel the ball against his palm as he put all of his heart into the spike.

His palm hit the ball perfectly, just like it always had, and its power assisted it in forcing its way through the block. The ball hit the court on the other side of the net.

 _One point._

* * *

Aika grinned, picking up her notebook from next to her. She turned to the page with the name "Asahi Azumane" on the very top and stared down at it, lifting her pen and pressing it against the paper.

She was finally able to count their Ace as a part of the team.

* * *

Kageyama felt as if he should have been much more disappointed than he was in the fact that they had lost the game against the Neighborhood Association. However, for some reason, he hadn't considered it a loss at all. He'd been able to play against three of the top players on their own little Karasuno squad and, even if he lost, he'd been able to learn from that game.

As he walked out of the club room, his bag over his shoulder, he paused, turning to look at the walkway leading to the gym. Sitting against the wall was Aika, her hair pulled up into a high ponytail and glasses on her face as she used her phone's flashlight in order to read and write something in a book on her lap.

He knew that he should have just walked away, but instead, he walked over to her. As he stopped, he hesitated. He had walked up to her without thinking. He didn't exactly know what to say.

"Do you need something, Kageyama?"

He froze for a moment, but huffed. "No. I was just wondering why you're still here," he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

She looked up at him. "I was waiting for Shoyo and Nishinoya. I was going to go to the store with them before I walked home with Shoyo. After all, there's some things I wanted to work on with him before the Nekoma game," she told him easily, returning her gaze to her notebook. He followed her eyes and looked down at the neat writing on the lines.

 _Shoyo Hinata, middle blocker/decoy.  
_ _-Born June 21  
_ _-162.8 cm  
_ _-51.9 kg  
_ _-Jumps high, runs fast  
_ _-Inexperienced, but passionate  
_ _-"Freak quick" with Kageyama_

Most of it was just personal information and basic statistics about the short, loud, orange-haired middle blocker, but underneath it, there were little notes.

 _XX/XX/XX  
_ _Work on spiking with eyes open and timing for blocking. Work on conserving energy throughout the entirety of the game. Work on diet and hydration to get the body into even better shape for more training.  
_ _Care for Shoyo's hands. There are blisters on his palm. Check his fingers for dislocation post blocking Azumane's spike.  
_ _Also ensure that his legs aren't stressed from repeated jumping and landing._

Kageyama's eyes widened as he saw what Aika had written. She'd written little reminders for herself to care for Hinata's body as well as his ability. She was putting his health at the forefront, where the players would rather hone their skills and win. He knew, for a fact, that he would ignore his own body until it screamed at him to rest.

"You're thinking about how you treat your own body, aren't you?"

Once again, she showed that she knew what he was thinking. Her sharp eyes peered up at him as she closed her notebook. He scoffed a little, looking away from her. She stood suddenly and reached forward, grabbing at his right hand. He flinched, but didn't pull away. She examined his hand, turning it over in her own. He simply stared at her.

"Your hands are callused and your skin isn't good. Your serves and sets scraped some of your skin off today. You should use a pumice stone to clear off some of that dead skin. It may seem like something you'd do for beauty, but it'll keep your hands healthy. Please take care of that soon."

She looked up at him for a moment, then dropped his hand. He nodded absently, her eyes following her as she picked up her bag and began to walk away.

"Aika." Looking back at him, she raised a questioning eyebrow. "Do you think that we'll be able to defeat Nekoma after the training camp?" he blurted.

For a moment, the girl paused. She turned around fully, and then smiled softly. Kageyama's eyes widened slightly as he saw her smile so brightly, the way she had only ever smiled at Hinata. He gulped, his hands curled into fists.

"It depends, really," she admitted. "Nekoma's team is something else. I doubt we could beat them as we are, even after the training camp." Kageyama's heart fell into his stomach. "But…" she continued, her smile still on her face, "I think that, if we train hard enough, we could face them in the Nationals, and then send them all the way back to Tokyo. We can win against them. Not now, but later. Our team is strong. If we can't win this match, we'll keep trying until we do."

She declared their victory with so much confidence that he found himself believing her. He found himself believing that she was right, that they would win. Even if they didn't win this match, they would take the later ones. They would grow stronger and stronger, and they would become the best.

They would be the ones to make it to Nationals, even with Date Tech, Shiratorizawa, and Aoba-Josai in their group. They would be the ones to make it.

"I agree," he declared.

She smiled at him once more before turning away, her hair swinging behind her as she walked away. He watched her for a moment, tucking his hands in his pockets as he followed her. They didn't speak, but he stayed a few feet behind her, his eyes always on her back.

 _We'll win._

* * *

Ukai looked down at the notes that Aika, the girl who had been helping out, being as close to a coach as the boys could get, had given him as the boys were getting changed out of their practice gear.

They were only copies of the real thing, but they were detailed and gorgeous, written in neat writing with extreme amounts of care. At the top of the pages were the names _Tobio Kageyama_ and _Koshi Sugawara_ , both with _setter_ written right next to them. There were detailed statistics and notes about strengths and weaknesses on each of the two setters.

The new coach sighed. There was a decision that he had to make, one that was a personal struggle for him. He knew that his own bias and his own experiences shouldn't get in the way of making a decision for a team, but he couldn't help it.

How could anyone choose between the two?

Sugawara was a kind-hearted person, strong in a way that most of the team wasn't. He was the senior that the rest of the team could rely on, could lean on in times that they needed him. He was the senior that knew his team better than anyone else, who watched and learned about each of them. He was the senior that could read the situation and make calm, informed decisions that would be best for each individual.

But then, there was Kageyama.

Kageyama was the opposite of Sugawara. He wasn't a senior, first off. He was a freshman who still had a long way to go. He had a lot to learn in terms of working with a team, but his technical skill far exceeded that of nearly any other setter that Ukai had ever seen before. He wasn't a kind person, or a calm person, or even an observational person.

He worked on instinct, and instinct alone. That was something that couldn't be taught.

Hanging his head, the blond coach sighed, a dry smile on his face. "This isn't fair at all…" he murmured to himself, laughing self-deprecatingly at the end.


	7. Cat

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 07: Cat

Aika didn't envy the decision that Coach Ukai had to make. She would never have been able to choose between the two setters. She could completely admit that Kageyama was much more technically skilled than Sugawara, but Sugawara was more acclimated to team play and was an overall kinder person.

It wasn't an easy decision. She liked both of them. They were both nice to her. Her heart would go out to the setter who would not be able to start.

Somehow, she knew that someone would be hurt.

She just hoped that everything would work out for the best.

* * *

"You're going to training camp today?" Aika didn't look up at her older brother, Shinji, as she tied her shoes. She simply nodded, standing and grabbing her bag. "Be careful, okay? Don't strain yourself too much, and be sure to get enough rest. Promise to eat well, and watch yourself around those boys. Or rather, those boys around you. Oh, and—"

She sighed exasperatedly. "Shin, I can handle myself. I'm not a little girl anymore," she grumbled, cutting him off with a stern look.

He bit his lip and ran a hand through the hair that fell into his face. "I know. I just… I can't help but worry. You haven't been this into volleyball since… well, since the accident. I'm glad, so I want you to keep having fun. But I want you to stay safe. Please, just call, won't you?" he requested, managing a weak smile on his handsome face.

Aika softened and turned away from the door. She wrapped her arms around her brother's torso, hugging him close. "I'll be careful. And I'll call whenever I have time," she promised softly.

Smiling down at his little sister, he twined his fingers in her long hair. "Good." He paused, holding her closer. "And you're wrong about one thing. You'll always be a little girl to me, Ai, even if we're only two years apart. After all, I've got to look after you. Who else will I take care of?" he joked.

She sighed once more and pushed away. "Get a girlfriend."

"You're so cold to me!"

* * *

Sugawara couldn't help but see the look on Ukai's face as he watched the practice. He was reminded of the decision that the coach had to make. He looked to Kageyama, who was working hard, tossing to his spikers as they slammed the ball down on the court, and felt his heart drop.

 _One of us won't be starting. One of us will be benched._

 _I don't want it to be me. But I don't want it to be Kageyama. This isn't fair._

Sugawara could feel the pain in his chest, where his heart should have been. He froze in place, his hands curling into fists at his side.

 _I want to play._

* * *

The small cottage that they were staying in was homely and open. It was big enough for at least two teams to stay in as the training camp commenced.

"Yamada." Aika looked up at Sawamura, who was smiling kindly. "Since you'll be the only girl here, you'll get your own room if you choose to stay. But Shimizu has offered you a place if you want it," he informed her, his smile never disappearing.

She sighed. "I'm staying. Shoyo needs me here," she replied bluntly.

Sawamura's smile still didn't vanish. "That's fine. You room is right next door to ours, so please call if you need anything." He didn't wait for her to respond, but turned towards the mess hall, where Takeda and Shimizu were preparing dinner.

She simply followed him, stumbling upon the mess of a team that she had agreed to work with. She stared at Tanaka and Nishinoya as they stared at Shimizu.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised anymore," she commented off-handedly to Sugawara.

He laughed, shaking his head. "Please don't be. They're always like this," he replied easily.

The two sat down at the table, next to each other as they prepared to eat. Aika's eyes trailed from Sugawara to Kageyama. She could see the wheels turning in his head and see the conflict raging in his eyes. She could tell that he wanted to play, but he believed Kageyama would be better for the team. He'd made his decision, but hadn't made up his mind to tell Ukai.

Looking down at her plate, she mumbled, "If you have something to say, then you should speak up. Feelings may be hurt, but you should think about what's important to you. Don't let someone else struggle with a decision that you've made."

Sugawara's astonished gaze didn't escape her as she began to eat, but she didn't dare speak another word to him.

This was his decision to make. She could only push him in the direction he was already headed in.

* * *

 _"Did you say that you're playing against Nekoma?!"_

"Shin, I told you this ages ago. Weren't you listening?"

 _"I forgot! Besides, don't you know who goes to Nekoma?"_

"No? I don't know anyone from Nekoma High."

 _"Really? You don't remember them?"_

"Who the hell are you talking about?"

 _"If you don't remember, I'm not telling. But I'm sure you'll remember them. Be sure to say hi, okay?"_

"… sure."

 _"Good. And good luck!"_

* * *

Sugawara turned the corner of the hallway and froze. His hands curled into fists and he bit his lip. His heart was racing a mile a minute, an angry throbbing in his chest bringing him unspeakable amounts of pain. His mind was still arguing with itself, going back and forth continuously.

Ukai stood at the other end of the hall, his figure practically taunting Sugawara.

He knew what he had to do. He knew what was important to him, and he knew what his decision was.

But he was still scared. He was still uncertain of himself, of his own place. He didn't know where he fit anymore.

All he knew was that he still wanted to support Karasuno.

Steeling his nerve, Sugawara rushed forwards. "Coach!" he called out.

His decision was made.

* * *

The training camp proceeded as it should have, with few to no real mishaps along the way. There were a few minor bumps, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. Everyone was working hard, preparing themselves for their match against Nekoma, their school's biggest rivals.

As they prepared to battle against Nekoma the next day, Aika stood next to Sugawara and Takeda, facing the seven players on the team. Her arms were crossed and she stared all of them in the eye.

They were all determined, even those who were not going to stand against their rivals. There was a fire that couldn't be underestimated by anyone. They were all prepared to do whatever it was that they needed to do.

And all of them were clad in black and orange uniforms, their numbers in a bold white.

For once, they looked like a team.

"I'm not expecting a win. I'm not expecting some big, flashy play or some impressive skills that would blow away those who don't know the sport." Murmurs ran through the players. "But what I am expecting from you is to work as a team. I'm expecting all of you to remember the practice that we put you through and execute what it is that you need to do. I'm expecting you to make them remember us. Got it?"

"Yeah!"

Hinata was the one whose shout rang the loudest throughout the gym, but there were faint echoes of some of the other players, including Nishinoya and Tanaka. They were listening to her, and they would do as she asked.

They would give it everything that they had.

* * *

"Kuroo, I've never seen you so excited for a match."

Tetsuro Kuroo looked up from the papers that detailed the lineup that Karasuno would be using. He'd been studying what little data they had on the old roster, but there was an influx of names that hadn't been on the paper from the previous year.

One name was one that he knew very well. It stood out against the unfamiliar ones.

He grinned widely up at Kenma. "Yeah. There's someone that we know in Karasuno."

Kenma paused for a moment. "Would I know him? I don't know anyone from Miyagi," he replied quietly, his soft voice somewhat confused.

"It's not a him. And she's not a player. Well, she used to be, but now, she's on the boy's team as an assistant coach."

At Kuroo's response, Kenma's face lit up. He looked happier than he had in ages. He smiled the widest smile that he could, the corners of his lips turned upwards.

"She's here?"

Kuroo nodded. "Yep. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

He looked back down at the paper, his fingers running over the name "Aika Yamada" that was written right between the name of the coach and the name of the manager.

* * *

Aika watched as the two teams lined up outside the school, the twelve players on each team facing each other without fear. Her eyes narrowed a little, seeing some of the players of Nekoma.

 _They're strong. Much stronger together than apart. They're really a team, aren't they…?_

"Oi, Aika!"

That wasn't a voice that she recognized. She looked away from the familiar-looking boy whose hair resembled pudding, and towards the tall captain with dark hair that stuck up. He was waving towards her, a warm grin on his face as he pulled away from his tension-filled handshake with Sawamura.

Pulling away, he ran towards her. "It's been what, eight years? You're still a pipsqueak. Have you even grown?" he bombarded her with question after question, making her eyes widen as she recognized that Cheshire smile on his face.

* * *

 _"Tetsu! Ken! Let's walk home together!"_

 _Two boys, both of whom were older than her, turned around. One had dark, brown hair that fell to his chin, while the other had jet black hair that stood up, curving inwards as it lifted. They were a bit taller than her, so, as she approached, the black-haired boy placed a hand on her head and ruffled her short hair._

 _"Sure, Ai. Let's go home."_

* * *

 _"Tetsu, what are you playing?"_

 _The boy with black hair tossed a white ball up, caught it, and tossed it again. He grinned at the curious little girl, who blinked at him with her wide eyes, which were trained on the ball in front of him._

 _"It's called volleyball. I joined a recreational team with Kenma. Shinji didn't want to join us, the jerk."_

 _"Can I play?"_

 _Tetsu hummed a little, looking down at her as he tucked his ball underneath his arm. "You're a little short, aren't you?"_

 _She pouted. "What does that matter?!" she shot back hotly._

 _He just laughed, ruffling her hair again. "I'll teach you. We'll play, okay?" he agreed, looking down at her with warm eyes._

* * *

"Tetsu? Is that you?" she asked, her eyes widening. "That means…" Glancing back to the pudding-haired boy, who was entertaining Shoyo, she blinked, realizing why he was so familiar. "That's Kenma, isn't it?"

Kuroo grinned widely and reached out, ruffling Aika's hair like he had when they were little, the warmth of his palm both familiar and comforting. She fought herself from reaching out to hug him, attaching herself to him like she had so long ago.

"That's right. Good to see you again, Ai. How've you been?"

For a moment, Aika hesitated. She wanted nothing more than to tell him about how she'd been the past few years, why she was here as an assistant coach, and what had happened to her leg, but she knew how much he'd overreact. She wanted to seek his comfort, but she knew that he'd only worry like a mother hen.

So, instead, she smiled serenely. "I've been well, thanks. I wasn't aware you went to Nekoma."

* * *

Kageyama looked at the side of the court, seeing the girl with wine red hair, pulled up in a ponytail, watching both teams closely. She seemed to be examining Nekoma's server and captain the closest. There was something different about her eyes when she was watching them.

They seemed more like the eyes of the Nekoma setter – the eyes of a cat.

Her eyes were sharp, glaring, as she examined both teams closely. She watched as Karasuno began to take the lead in the match. The tempo, controlled by Karasuno and by Kageyama, forced the Nekoma team to take a time out.

Ukai spoke to the team, telling them simple things, like which players seemed the strongest, and whose spikes needed to be looked for. Everyone nodded, knowing exactly what had to happen throughout the game in order to win.

But as Ukai's words turned to the setter, he trailed off.

"You're underestimating Kenma." All eyes turned to Aika. "He's the smartest person on that team. You're showing everything just to gain control, and Ken knows how to take that and turn it against you. I wasn't sure how much he's improved, but I can tell you this, though." Her sharp gaze turned to all of them, but Kageyama felt that it pierced through him the most. "He can read you like a book."

Silence fell over the flock of crows. Kageyama chanced a look back, his eyes landing on the cat-eyed boy. She was right about the fact that he was intelligent. The Karasuno setter sized up his Nekoma counterpart, and found that, despite the fact that there was nothing impressive about him, his eyes were off-putting. It was like he could see through everything that was happening.

It was unnerving.

The whistle blew before Kageyama could ask Aika to elaborate. Both teams filed back onto the court, taking their positions.

The game was back on.

* * *

Aika could tell that even when Karasuno seemed to have control of the game, even with the fast attacks, Azumane's spike, Kageyama's hawk-like accuracy, and Nishinoya's saves, nothing could stop Kenma from doing what he always did.

He always found a way to take over the game and turn it against his opponents. It was the one thing that made him the most fearsome opponent to face.

* * *

 _At Aika's first game, both Kuroo and Kenma showed up to watch her play. She was tossing well, setting up lots of good spikes, but it seemed like nothing was going through. The other team just had better defense, and was stopping everything._

 _"Ai." During one of the breaks, Kenma called her over to the bench, where he'd moved to almost five minutes earlier. She stopped in front of him, and he leaned in, whispering, "That number 5 is fast, but her blocking leaves much to be desired. Try delaying your tosses a little, just hold it for a second before you toss. Aim for her, and you'll get points."_

 _Aika frowned. "But holding is against the rules."_

 _"It's not against the rules to delay tosses to give them a bit more power." He paused. "Also, remember the dump I taught you? Try using that. They don't think you have any offensive power, but I know differently. You could spike if you wanted to."_

 _He smiled softly at her before leaving, returning to his place in the stands next to Kuroo._

 _Needless to say, Aika exposed all of the weaknesses Kenma proceeded to inform her of. She learned to see them for herself thanks to him, and she took control of the game. Her team won easily, shutting out the opponents in the second set._

 _Kenma's cat-like eyes were on her the entire time._

* * *

Kuroo met Aika's gaze. She was observing the game quietly, the same way that Kenma had taught her. The two had always shared a scary similarity when it came to the game.

Their intelligence was unrivaled.

They knew how to expose the weaknesses of each player. But they knew each other so well that it was like they knew what the other was going to do. Aika's strategies wouldn't counter Kenma's, and Kenma's strategies wouldn't counter Aika's. They would just clash, and cancel each other out.

If Kuroo was being honest, there were only two players that he would never want to face on the court.

Kenma and Aika.

Facing them, having weaknesses exposed and exploited… that was nearly spirit-breaking for anyone.

Kuroo grinned.

 _Well? We figured out your fast attack, so what will you do? It's your move, Ai._


	8. Crow

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 08: Crow

Aika could tell that the pace was being stolen by Nekoma. Everyone on Karasuno was getting anxious and getting reckless. They weren't thinking clearly, and they were making mistakes that she swore that they had ironed out.

Her notebook was being crushed in her hands as he r anger boiled over. Anger not at her team or at Nekoma, but at her own inability.

 _There has to be some way I can counter Ken… but what? He's dismantling our strategies, making Shoyo completely useless… Number 7 isn't fooled by him anymore, and neither is anyone else. We're just barely keeping up, but then, they throw something new at us… What can I do? What can any of us do?_

Her eyes followed the wild motions of the ball, trying to pinpoint a weakness, a flaw, in any of the Nekoma players that she could expose. She needed just a single opening, and she could allow her team a backdoor to slip through Nekoma's defenses and take the game back from Kenma's crazy high intelligence.

But it seemed like Kenma had been smarter.

Any weakness in the Nekoma team had been well-covered by the other players. They worked well together, something that was learned, and was not natural. It was clear that Kenma and Kuroo's influence was a huge part of their successful teamwork.

And the whistle blew.

Karasuno had lost the first set, and Aika was still clueless as to how to stop number 7 from blocking Hinata and Kageyama's freak quick. She had no idea. For once, she was at a loss for words and ideas, and she couldn't stop worrying for her bright, warm friend.

"I… I can't do anything."

The words escaped her lips softly as the whistle blew again, signaling another point for Nekoma during the second set. Another of Hinata's strong spikes stopped by one blocker who could keep up with his speed.

Sugawara looked to Aika. His eyes widened in shock as he saw how horrified she looked. Her emotions were almost never visible like that, almost never so easy to read. But the look of sheer guilt and terror that was on her face was impossible to mistake as anything but.

"Shoyo… I don't know…" Her entire body was shaking, anger and sadness at her inability to defeat Kenma, her teacher, taking over her being. "I'm so sorry."

Sugawara wanted to reach out for her. He could figure out how Hinata was feeling.

Hinata had been blocked, over and over, by people who were taller than him. He'd been defeated in the first round in middle school and stopped by Tsukishima in order to make the team. He finally found his own strength with the help of an old rival, but now, there was another high wall in his way.

And Aika had seen it, struggled with him.

She'd lost her ability to play, and had pinned her hopes of seeing Nationals on the orange-haired boy. She'd taught him and helped him, nurtured his skill into what was passable, but helped him find his own strength. She'd watched him defeat Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, watched him lose to Kageyama in middle school, and win the match against Aoba-Josai.

For him to break now was unthinkable.

"Aika… are you alright?"

She shook her head, her trembling not stopping. "I'm not on the court anymore, so I can't help him. I can't think my way out of this. Kenma's always been smarter than me, so I know… I know that there's nothing I can do to help." She looked back to Hinata, who was leaping once more. "This is up to Shoyo. It's up to him to not break."

* * *

Kageyama could see Aika's trembling from where he sat. He could see that she was beating herself up inside for not being able to help them anymore than they had. Seeing her like that, the girl who had helped them so much, made his blood boil.

He had to give it his all. He had to win.

As the timeout was called, Kageyama kept his gaze on Aika, even as she was still trembling. She was writing notes with a shaking hand, her normally neat writing all sorts of messy. He couldn't help but be concerned.

Tossing lightly to Hinata didn't take much of his concentration. He could toss all he wanted to him without thinking about it. He mostly kept his eyes on Aika, who was beginning to straighten out after taking several deep breaths. She was becoming less worried, and that sharp, cat-like gaze that was so similar to the Nekoma setter's was returning to her eyes. Her comfort level was rising.

She was figuring something out.

* * *

"Shoyo."

Everyone turned to look at Aika.

"Spiking with your eyes open is like how you used to spike against the wall. Remember how we used to practice? You had to spike it so I could receive and return it?" Hinata slowly nodded. "Choose a single spot. Don't try to get around the blockers for now. Just focus on spiking with all your might."

It was simple advice this time, but it seemed to work on Hinata. A smile spread across the orange-head's face, and he nodded furiously. She then looked to Nishinoya and instructed him on the movements of number 1 and his spike, Kageyama watching her the entire time.

Hinata seemed to cheer up a lot from the advice. He tried harder and didn't lose any of his determination. He was trying to spike as hard as he could, and was slowly learning as he did so. His spikes were becoming focused and filled with the same spirit as the spiker.

Aika watched, a small smile playing on her lips.

 _Let's fly, Shoyo._

* * *

Hinata's palm hit the ball, his wrist twisting the slightest bit in order to aim away from the spikers. The ball twisted and spun, spinning until it landed on the court.

 _Out._

But he still hit it.

* * *

"Do you think we can come back from this?" asked Sugawara suddenly, glancing at the score with slight worry on his face.

Aika shook her head. "No. Nekoma is far ahead at this point, and Shoyo is learning his new skills. Kenma has us figured out, Kageyama is struggling to adjust to Shoyo's new style, and… well, there's just very little that we can do." Even as she said this, she was smiling.

"That doesn't seem to upset you though."

"Of course it doesn't. This team is a train wreck as it is. There's a lot of tension between our teammates, and there's a lot that each of us need to work on. Teamwork is the biggest thing that we lack, but Nekoma excels in. What this match is doing is forcing the best out of every single player on the court. We're even in skills – maybe even better in terms of technical skill – but what sets us apart is that they are a true team."

Sugawara nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

Nekoma was consistently pulling off crazy attacks that could only come in high pressure situations where they could thrive with teamwork. Especially between the setter and the captain, who had clearly been a team for a long time. It was like they knew each other well enough to know what the other was thinking.

"I remember both Ken and Tetsu being able to control the game very well… plus, since they've been playing together for something like ten years, they're bound to be able to synchronize well." Aika paused, looking at the pair of Hinata and Kageyama. "Although our first-year duo work well together, their teamwork is rough. It leaves a lot to be desired. I think this will only make our team stronger."

Sugawara turned his gaze downwards, glancing at Aika's notebook. She had the Nekoma roster sitting on her book, with several matchups written in her neat handwriting.

 _Shoyo Hinata (10) vs. Sou Inuoka (7)_

 _Yu Nishinoya (4) vs. Morisuke Yaku (3)_

 _Tobio Kageyama (9) vs. Kenma Kozume (5)_

 _Ryunosuke Tanaka (5) vs. Taketora Yamamoto (4)_

 _Daichi Sawamura (1) vs. Tetsuro Kuroo (1)_

"They're very similar, aren't they?" He met Aika's eyes, seeing her currently cat-like gaze staring back at him as she smiled softly. "The pair with the most differences is made of the setters, Ken and Kageyama. But what's similar about them is their intelligence. They can control the game with a single glance."

"I see what you mean. They're both able to size up their opponents and fake them out if they need. They make really good decisions based on who they're facing," Sugawara admitted.

Aika shook her head. "It's not just that. It's also that they both suck with people." She stifled a small giggle as she pointed to Kenma. "Kenma hates interacting with people, 'cause they're always mean to him. But Kageyama hates interacting with people, which leads him to be mean to them. It's why Ken melds so well with his team, but Kageyama struggles. Honestly, I can't see those two ever getting along, but they probably will have a mutual respect for their playing abilities," she replied, tapping her notebook.

The third-year couldn't help but stare at the girl as she continued to scribble in her notebook. She was able to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses not just through play, but through personality. She was able to see things that only extremely experienced players would normally be able to see.

 _She's some kind of amazing._

* * *

In the end, Karasuno put up a great fight, but wasn't able to take the win. They had managed to thwart a lot of what Nekoma threw at them, but they never managed to force the ball to hit the floor on Nekoma's side.

"Every single one of us could learn something from Nekoma," Aika commented bluntly. "We put up a good fight, but they just fought better. After all, it's a team game, not a game for single players."

She closed her notebook and placed it on the bench, standing as Ukai faced the Nekoma boys. She stood next to him, her eyes locking with Kuroo's. She grinned a little at him.

"Aika." Ukai saw how she stood right next to him, as if she was claiming the spot reserved for assistant coaches, placing herself as a teacher to the boys. "Do you have anything to say to them about their play?"

Nodding, the shortest of the figures turned to the boys in red uniforms. "It's like Tetsu says. Your team is like the human body, as weird as it is. Well taken care of, with every part in working order. Your offense is experienced, but not as strong as, say, Azumane senpai. Your true power really is in your defense, but there are some things that you could work on… mostly from your individual play. Be sure that you're as good as you can be. And," she paused, a small smile coming over her face. "Thank you for being our rival."

Kuroo smiled right back at her from his place in front of her, reaching forwards and ruffling her hair. "We're ready to take you on at any time, just as long as you're ready to lose," he replied teasingly.

She just stuck her tongue out at him, her actions reflecting their childish relationship. He just laughed at her, his loud voice filling the gymnasium. Irritated by his response, Aika only aimed a kick at his shin, which cut his laughter off as he glared right back at her, while she was the one attempting to hold back her own smile.

Everyone laughed at their captain, who had managed to provoke their rival's assistant coach.

* * *

"Ken!"

Kenma turned around from the ball cart, seeing Aika rushing towards him. She stopped right in front of him, and he noticed that she was now shorter than him when, only a few years ago, they had been about the same height. He paused, seeing that her wine red hair was now falling all the way to brush against her legs, even as it was pulled up in a ponytail.

"Your hair is a lot longer…" he commented offhandedly.

She flushed a little, tugging at her ponytail self-consciously. "And you grew a lot. You're taller than me now. Your hair is bleached, too," she replied softly, gazing up at him.

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forwards. He slowly hugged her, his arms wrapping around her back. "It's good to see you again, Ai. It's been a really long time." He paused, then added, "I missed you," in that soft way he always did, although his words were no less sincere than they should have been.

"I missed you, too, Ken." She pulled away, a sincere smile on her face for once. "Tetsu managed to convince you to stay with volleyball even through high school, did he?"

He nodded. "I knew you wouldn't give up, either. Even if we haven't talked in years, you're still here. But you're a coach now…" he murmured, something like confusion and worry in his tone.

Aika paused for a moment, debating on whether or not she could really tell him. She could feel her leg tingling a little as she thought about it. "I can't play anymore. I completely destroyed my leg. I can walk again, but it took a long time… and I'll never be able to play competitively again," she finally admitted, only to trigger Kenma's face falling to worry.

"Ai… Have you told Kuroo this yet?"

"No… honestly, I don't think I should. He'll freak out and worry way too much." She bit her lip, her eyes meeting Kenma's worried ones. "Seriously, it's no big deal!" She held her notebook to her chest. "If I didn't join this team, I don't think I'd have seen you and Tetsu again. That means a lot to me…"

Kenma nodded. "Me, too," he said.

* * *

The bus ride home was quiet. Aika had her headphones in as she watched the scenery passing by outside. The sounds of soft rock played in her ears, just barely managing to block out the loud snoring of the boys around her. She looked to Shoyo, who was sleeping peacefully next to her, his head lazily falling against her shoulder.

She smiled softly at him, reaching up to run her hand through his abnormally brightly-colored hair. It was soft against her fingers, and the motion caused him to stir slightly, shifting in his sleep. Her hand dropped to her lap as she returned her gaze out the window.

Her hand unconsciously rubbed at her leg, her fingers brushing against her brace, the one that was hidden by her sweatpants. She could feel Shoyo breathing through her sleeve, his breath warm and somehow comforting. It let her know that he was still there.

 _We lost today. We didn't even stand a chance. And there are stronger teams out there then Nekoma._

Her hand curled into a fist as she grinned a little, the music in her ears like a backing track to her.

 _We'll win next time. We'll be strong enough to take them all on._

* * *

From his place across the aisle from Aika, Kageyama lazily opened one eye. His headphones were in, his arms were crossed, and his body was slouched. Everything looked as if he was sleeping, but he was acutely aware of everything that was happening.

He fixed his one-eyed gaze on Aika, whose fist was shaking as she stared out the window, the last rays of sunlight hitting her face, lighting up the determination in her eyes. He cracked the smallest of smirks, one that was almost invisible, as he closed his eyes again.

There was no need for him to worry. She still believed in them.


	9. Faith

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 09: Faith

Aika glanced at the bracket for the Interhigh, studying all the matchups. There were only a few names that stood out to her, including Aoba Josai, Date Tech, and Shiratorizawa. There were a few schools that were up-and-comers, like Wakutani, and some schools who were well-known for not-so-great reasons, like Johzenji.

Their first match, however, was against none of those teams. They'd been placed against Tokonami, a relatively unknown school with a relatively small volleyball club. According to her research, they'd rarely ever made it past the first round of matches.

Aika traced her finger over the bracket, following the path of what would happen if Karasuno won.

Her eyes widened.

 _If we win… we go on to play against Date Tech._

Frowning, she traced even further, until one school stood out in her mind. Aoba Josai was the only other school that they would possibly face, since the others were in a separate block. If they won their match against Date Tech, Karasuno would most likely face Blue Castle and, with it, the feared and respected Toru Oikawa, well-known as the best setter in the prefecture. He'd already proven that there were weaknesses in their team, weaknesses reinforced by their match against Nekoma. That match would mean everything to the baby birds who were, once more, finding their wings.

She kept the paper in her hands, staring at it as she walked through the hallways. Her mind was frantically sorting through strategy after strategy, desperately attempting to figure out ways to bring her team ahead just a bit further, give them even the slightest edge over the competition. She couldn't afford to let even a single chance of victory slip away from them.

"Oi." A hand on her head caused her to stop walking and look up, searching for the person who the arm belonged to. "You almost ran into a wall there." Kageyama looked down at her, his face showing slight amusement, which then turned to surprise at the paper she held. "Is the tournament that important to you?" he asked softly, glancing at the tournament information, which she was clutching tightly.

She nodded, spinning so she wasn't facing the wall, instead looking directly at Kageyama. "It's our chance to prove to the world that we still have wings," she murmured softly, her eyes showing nothing but pure determination.

They called Karasuno a lot of things; "clipped crows" or "fallen champions" were the most popular. She heard them every time that she asked anyone about Karasuno. She was tired of hearing them, because they were more than just birds that struggled to fly. They were more than just champions struggling to regain their former glory.

The Karasuno team she knew was filled with intense, passionate boys who she knew could fly.

"I know you guys really well after all this, and I know you can get far." She smiled sheepishly up at him. "I don't tend to have faith in things, 'cause I don't want to be let down when my faith isn't rewarded. But if I have faith in anything, it's that you guys are going to work hard, and you'll get far."

For a moment, all Kageyama did was stare at her. His stormy grey eyes were fixed on hers, gratefulness and admiration showing in them. After a moment, he stepped back and bowed lowly, his body at an angle. His hair fell in his face as he pinned his arms to his sides.

"Thank you! I'll make sure your faith isn't let down!" he practically shouted, his voice echoing throughout the nearly empty hall.

Aika's eyes widened at his sudden bow, but her face quickly softened, a smile washing over her face.

"I know you won't."

* * *

Kageyama wiped sweat away from his brow, staring at where the ball landed on his side of the net. His eyes scanned the entire opposite court, his mind racing through all the possibilities of that spike being returned in an actual game. He needed a way to stop that from happening, to ensure that their team were always at least one point ahead. Winning was the only way to move forward, to stay on the court for just one more game.

"That toss was a bit too high," he murmured to himself, eyes narrowing as he wiped sweat from his face. He watched as the ball rolled to a stop after it hit the wall and bounced off for a moment. "It doesn't give the spiker any choice of where to aim."

He reached into the ball cart once more, turning around and tossing the ball up, watching as it slowed, then began its decent. His eyes were trained on the ball as it fell straight through the air, keeping it directly in his gaze as it landed in the web of his fingers. Shifting, he tossed the ball behind him, aiming for the direct point that Tanaka would usually be in.

In his mind, he could visualize exactly what would happen. The other side would think that he was tossing to Azumane, or even to Hinata, which would leave Tanaka open to attack. He could practically hear the spike landing with a resounding thud, a sound that would signify that Karasuno had earned themselves a point. That spike would put them ahead of their opponent, even if it was just a single point. It could be a game changer.

The ball landed, bouncing softly until it rolled, hitting the wall and bouncing off it.

 _But what if that spike gets blocked?_ a small voice in the back of his mind asked him, the voice worriedly running through the possibilities of failure in the coming match. _What if Tanaka is blocked by the Iron Wall? What if that thud isn't on their side of the court, but on ours? What will you do then? What can_ _you do to stop that from happening?_

His mind raced, his pulse quickening. He bit his lip, frustration rising in his chest. He grabbed another ball, tossing it once again, repeating his motions. He furiously attempted to push his toss through, to ensure that it could – that it would – end in a spike.

"I'll make it," he muttered, glaring at where the ball landed. "I'll keep us all on the court."

The sounds of sneakers squeaking against the floor and balls rebounding off of skin or the court were like the soundtrack to a scene from a movie.

There were loud shouts as the lyrics, voices all around yelling words like "block" or "cover" or "chance ball." There were cheers from around the stands of family and friends of the players on either of the two courts in the gymnasium.

Aika's grip on her notebook tightened, a sudden burst of nervousness hitting her. The last time she was in a place like this, she'd watched as Hinata took on Kageyama in a frustrating match that lasted less than an hour. It'd been a hard day for everyone involved, filled with emotions and tears.

There was so much left to do.

She glanced to Hinata, who was shaking in what could either be nervousness, excitement, or both. She couldn't help but giggle at his eyes that practically sparkled. His hands were shaking as his fingers curled into his palms. His gaze was practically trained on the net. To him, this gym was a place to make his name stand out, to make people remember him, and remember Karasuno.

"Shoyo." He looked to her, only to see her glancing at the courts, too. "We're going to get far today. You guys have been working really hard for the past few weeks, and that says more than anything." She turned to him, her eyes burning with the same fire his were. "Make your statement here."

 _There's going to be a big wall in your way, but I know you. You've got the spirit of a Tiny Giant._

* * *

Tokonami wasn't a bad team.

They were good kids with a lot of heart, but they allowed their own self-doubt to cloud their judgment. It was clear to Aika that they wanted so desperately to play volleyball for just a little longer, just like her team did. There was such a vast difference in strength that the mountain was difficult for Tokonami to even begin to scale it.

It looked like most of them had given up before the fight even truly began.

"It's sad, isn't it?" she murmured.

Takeda looked over to her, seeing her gaze trained on the blue-clad team. Most of them looked downtrodden as they left the court. Their heads hung, their hair clouding their vision. Some were probably crying, attempting to hide their tears so to appear stronger than they felt.

"Some of those boys are third years. For some of them, this was their last game ever. Most of them probably won't keep playing in college, where sports get even more competitive. For some of them, their careers ended without much of a fight at all. That has to be hard…"

Aika stood without waiting for a response, clutching her notes in her hand, her fingers wrapped so tightly around her pen that she swore she might break it.

 _Some of them will never stand on a court again._

"Aika!" Sugawara's familiar voice called, her tone filled with worry as he approached her. She turned to face him as he stopped in front of her. "Is everything okay?"

The smaller girl took a deep breath, holding her notebook close to her chest. She avoided Sugawara's eyes as she nodded. "Yeah. Just thinking about how… after this tournament, even if we win, we might lose you and Sawamura senpai and Azumane senpai. And how… if we lose…" she trailed off.

A gentle chop to the top of her head caused her to look up. Sugawara's warm, brown eyes met hers as he smiled softly. She bit her lip, forcing herself to keep from speaking anymore. His hand fell, but as it did, it latched onto hers, squeezing reassuringly.

"Don't worry. It'll all be okay," he reassured in his softest voice. "We won't lose to anyone, so let's not think about that until the time comes."

Aika hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She stepped closer to Sugawara, feeling his warm presence in front of her. He felt her lean against him, her shoulders shaking, not with sobs, but with worry, with sympathy.

"You should be out there with us," she murmured.

He shook his head, gently resting his hands on her shoulders and pushing her back. "I don't need to be there. Just seeing them fly… that's… that's enough…" he lied, his voice faltering. He wasn't sure of anything, except for the fact that he was seeing his team fly after being the "clipped crows" for such a long time.

She shook her head, avoiding his clear eyes. "You're not, though. And you shouldn't be. You should be there, even if it's just for a moment."

"I am there, though," he argued. "I'm watching them win. And I'm happy with that."

 _Lies._

* * *

Aika slowly pressed the button for a green tea from the vending machine. She could hear the bottle thud as it fell to the opening, allowing her to grab it. She knelt, her movements almost clunky as she stumbled a little. Her knee shot with pain as she knelt, giving out as she collided with the floor.

 _Shit. I forgot my cane,_ she thought, cursing herself internally.

"Ah, it's Little Red," an obnoxiously familiar voice practically sang behind her. She looked up to see Oikawa and the intimidating spiker from Aoba Josai looking down at her. "Need some help down there?"

She rolled her eyes and leaned forward to grab her bottled tea. "No, I don't," she snapped in reply. "I don't need anything from you." She tried to sound strong as she pushed herself onto her shaking, pain-ridden leg. She winced, but smothered her squeak of pain as her leg nearly forced her back onto the tile.

She would have fallen if it wasn't for a pair of arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her upwards and leaning her against a strong torso. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the face of the person who'd caught her, simultaneously wanting to both thank that person for catching her and punch them in the face for touching her.

"Now, now, Aika." Oikawa grinned down at her. "It wouldn't do for the Control Queen to lose her composure."

Actually, maybe she would rather just punch him.

She struggled in his arms, trying to free herself from his strong grip. "Get off me, you creep! And don't call me that, okay?! How did you even know that name?"

Oikawa released her after she managed to land a hit on his shin. "Ow," he winced, the pain causing him to reach towards his leg. He straightened after a few moments. "I remembered your name. Aika Yamada. You were pretty famous a few years back. Everyone thought you'd be a real powerhouse, maybe lead a great team of girls to victory in high school. Then, you just fell off the face of the planet." His gaze darkened a little as his smirk grew. "Now, you reappear on Karasuno, and as a… what, a coach?" His teasing tone didn't go unnoticed by both his teammate and the girl in front of him.

Glaring, her own eyes began to burn with a challenging fire. "I'm the assistant coach for Karasuno. And I'm not the Control Queen anymore. I never wanted that title in the first place." Her hands curled into fists at her side. "A sports journalist gave me that title 'cause I was strong, but I don't like it." Her tense shoulders fell as the two Aoba Josai players stared at her with wide eyes. "Honestly, I'm glad that I'm not the one who holds that title anymore," she muttered.

"Oi, Shittykawa." A loud smack and a yelp of pain made her look up, only to see Oikawa holding the back of his head in pain. "You can't talk to a girl like that. Especially not a girl who could probably rip you to shreds and rebuild you," the boy wearing the jersey reading "4" snapped. He turned to face her, his expression much gentler than his counterpart's. "I'm Iwaizumi, Hajime Iwaizumi."

"Aika Yamada, but you knew that thanks to," she chuckled, "Shittykawa over there."

Iwaizumi laughed loudly, his laugh ending in a wide grin. "I like you." He patted her head, ruffling her hair a bit. "Karasuno has a strong ally on their side of the net. Keep them here until we get to crush them, 'kay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

But she grinned up at him anyways.

* * *

From around the corner, Kageyama bit his lip to keep from angrily interrupting, stealing her back so they could return to fight Date Tech. Instead, he pushed himself off the wall, turning away and storming back down the hall, the way he came.

He would find her later to talk about strategy. She'd come back on her own. He knew she would.

* * *

Oikawa's sinister-looking smirk only grew wider as he watched Iwaizumi and Aika giddily chat about their favorite types of sets and spikes, what they liked the most on the court.

He could hear the retreating footsteps of his junior angrily making their way back to where they came from. He now knew something else that made Kageyama angry enough to take it out on him on the court, and anyone who knew him knew that he would, for sure, use it against Kageyama, and make him suffer for it.

* * *

 _A quick author's note from Chiyuki:_

 _I apologize for the poor pacing as of this chapter (9 chapters in, and already at the second half of the first season), but this is being done to begin to shift dynamics and force character growth. I also feel as if "revealing" Aika's relationship with Kenma and Kuroo was done a bit hastily, but as I'm writing more chapters, I feel as if this was the correct choice._

 _As of Sunday (2/19), I have a new story published. For those of you who are intersted, it's a Parasyte -the maxim- fanfiction called "Symbiosis." It is a romance (surprise!), but also a character study. I hope some of you will read it and let me know what you think._

 _I also wish more people would review this story. I don't like to beg for reviews, but I would like some feedback on how people are liking this story. Perhaps it's because I'm not the most personable writer that people aren't feeling as if they can review? Either way, I do want to open up lines of communication with my readers, should they wish to talk to me. My tumblr is the best place to do so. If you'd like to speak to me about something (anything), please check xChiyuki on tumblr._

 _Anyways, I apologize for taking up your time. Please let me know what you think of "Higher."_

 _-Chiyuki_


	10. Collision

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 10: Collision

Futakuchi grinned, seeing two pretty girls on the other side of the net. He knew that Karasuno was stronger than ever, and something in his gut told him that those two girls who were a part of that strength.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Karasuno warmed up, both girls scribbling in their notebooks.

As his name was called, he immediately prepared to receive, which he did easily, sending the ball right back the way it came. That kind of rookie move was easy for him to execute. He lazily strolled to the back of the line, but froze when he felt a pair of eyes on him.

Most of the time, someone's gaze was easy to ignore. He found that the easiest part of standing on the court to be dealing with the crowds looking at him. For him to freeze under someone's gaze, they had to be looking straight through him.

He slowly turned, his eyes meeting a pair of striking, dark eyes that stared right back at him. His own eyes widened as he met the gaze of one of the girls on Karasuno's side. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail as she stared right back at him, like she was studying him. She didn't break her gaze as her pen danced across her notebook, no doubt writing something about him, something that she saw in his receive.

Her eyes sent a shiver of fear down his spine.

 _She's dangerous._

* * *

"Number 7 is, of course, going to be the biggest obstacle in the so-called Iron Wall," Aika recited, reading the notes she'd taken from watching their practice. "He's got good reflexes and he's pretty smart about his blocks when it comes to reaction, but I don't think he'd be very good at anything else, except maybe straights. Their captain and vice captain are definitely the smartest people on that team, but they're not as frightening as 7 can be. The captain is the setter, and he meshes well with the team. Watch out for the vice's spikes. They'll hurt if we can't block them."

She looked up at the boys and frowned. "As for number 6, he's the only other player really worth talking about, but only because he reminds me of Tsukishima, but a much more hard-working version of him. His spikes might be a little tricky, but other than that, he's kind of stupid. That freak quick of yours? It'll work against him. But not against 7. And not against both of them together."

The boys in front of her nodded, absorbing her information as she spilled it to them. She met all of their gazes as she stared them down, seeing a fire burning inside of every single person. She grinned widely, holding up her fist.

"Go get 'em."

A roar of approval began with Shoyo, Nishinoya, and Tanaka, and grew to include most of the remaining players. Sawamura met her eyes and nodded at her, a mutual understanding of respect passing between them. She smiled back at him, giving him a victory sign as she did so.

He slowly turned away from her, facing his team, and yelled, as loudly as he could.

"Karasuno, _fight_!"

* * *

The match started quickly, with Hinata receiving the first toss and earning the first point.

It was clear from the start that this match was not just about tearing down the Iron Wall that Date Tech was building up, but about flying over it. The Iron Wall was formidable for sure, with number 7 (who Aika learned was called Aone) using read blocking, and using it surprisingly effectively.

"Most of our points are from them missing their blocks," Aika murmured, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the tall, fearsome number 7. "But we can get around it. We're faster than them."

Sugawara, who stood next to her, nodded in agreement. His hands were shaking badly, as he wanted so badly to be the one in the game. He wanted to help Asahi tear down the Iron Wall with his own two hands, take revenge for what they'd done to them in the game last year.

 _But I can't toss that quick for Hinata. It has to be Kageyama. It has to be them. They can open up the Wall and break it down._

He curled his hands into fists, willing them to stop shaking.

It didn't work.

* * *

The match went back and forth, swinging in Karasuno's favor in one moment and in Date Tech's the next.

Kageyama kept his eye on the ball, moving closer to it until it was directly above him. A blur of movement caught the corner of his gaze, and he adjusted, moving his hands, the web that would catch the ball. As if he was a robot, he locked directly onto where the ball needed to go.

The slam of the ball onto the court was all he needed to hear as he and Hinata rejoiced, both of them celebrating the return of the quick that felt like magic to execute. Kageyama's lips turned upwards in a fearsome grin.

 _There is a way around the Iron Wall. We just have to be faster and smarter. We can use this in our favor._

* * *

Aika grinned dangerously, her eyes darkening in victory.

Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

It was like a pendulum, going back and forth and back and forth. For every point one team scored, the other was there to pick up the pace and take the next point.

Futakuchi panted, wiping away sweat as his spike landed handily on Karasuno's side. He grinned slightly, earning him and Date Tech a point. He could feel as if he was on a roll, as if he was going to be the Ace to carry Date Tech to the next round against Aoba Josai.

But then, as he turned back to the net, he caught that scary gaze again, the one that felt as if it was piercing right through him. A cold shiver ran down his back, and the sweat that fell down his face wasn't from exerting himself, but from fear.

That girl was watching him again.

Her eyes were unnerving to him. It was like they didn't match her soft, feminine exterior. She seemed very passive, almost submissive, but her eyes said otherwise. To Futakuchi, her eyes told him that she wasn't passive, but observant, she wasn't submissive, but simply waiting for him and the rest of Date Tech to slip up. If they did, she would easily take advantage of it and use it against them. She was smart, and she was terrifying to be opposing.

"Futakuchi." He looked over to his captain, Moniwa, who was watching his expression with narrowed eyes. "What's wrong?" asked the third year, putting his hands on his hips.

The brunette nodded towards the girl with the fearsome eyes. "She's watching us."

Moniwa followed his junior's gaze, only to flinch at the eyes of the girl who had been fixated on Futakuchi up until that moment. Her piercing stare was now aimed at the captain, who shifted uncomfortably. He cleared his throat and looked over to Futakuchi, who was frowning.

"She's scary," Moniwa managed. "She seems pretty smart. She's probably one of the smarter members of Karasuno." He took a deep breath, then sighed. "She's probably their strategist or something, but she can't do anything until between sets or until they call a time out. We'll be fine until then. We'll worry about it when we have to."

Futakuchi nodded, agreeing silently with his captain, but as he moved back into his place, he chanced another look back at the girl with wine-red hair.

She was scribbling away in her notebook in short, clean strokes. Her eyes were softer as she gazed at her own team, watching them as they set up for their next play.

* * *

"Yamada, what do you think?"

Aika's sharp gaze turned towards Ukai, who was frowning as he stared at the court, where Date Tech and Karasuno were going at it, point after point being given to each team. His arms were crossed, and it was clear to Aika that he was tense.

She sat up, her gaze softening as she sighed. "We have to hope they'll call a time out now. Hopefully that play took them by surprise."

The sharp blow of the referee's whistle signified that Date Tech had called for a time out.

Ukai grinned like a beast that had its prey in its grasp. "We're in luck. I'll talk to them quickly, so sort out what you can in that time." Aika nodded, flipping through her notes.

The coach talked to the players, giving them advice on their receives and how to reply to read blocking, which was how Date Tech had gotten most of their points. She could hear the panting athletes slurping down their drinks as they wiped their faces with their towels.

"Yamada."

She stood, her notebook in hand. "You're slow," she said bluntly. "All of you are responding to the read blocks exactly the way they expect you to. There's a way over, around, or through every block. They know all of those ways. We should also have someone prepared to receive spikes, even if Nishinoya," the tiny libero cleared his throat, to which she rolled her eyes, "Nishinoya _senpai_ isn't there. Most of all, don't let your guard down if you just get one point. One point is great, one point is a lead. But if they get another point on us, we have to get two more. Right now, they're focused on Shoyo. Keep that focus there."

Everyone nodded at her words. She flipped through the pages of her notebook and narrowed her eyes. She glanced towards the Date Tech team, who were sipping at their own water bottles.

Her eyes met the chocolate brown orbs of number 6, Futakuchi. She narrowed her eyes, then looked away from him.

"As for players… keep an eye on number 6. He's smarter than I thought he was. Stronger, too. Both 7 and 6 are the priority threats, since they are the Iron Wall. Prepare to fight for every point, especially with that setter leading. He's what's keeping them together." She looked sharply at Karasuno, who were looking somewhat taken aback. "You have two options. Tear down the Iron Wall by breaking through it with Shoyo, Tanaka, and Azumane… or," she paused, "you can break the foundations of what makes it so strong."

With that, she looked at Moniwa.

"It's your choice. Just know that he can't receive for shit, and their libero isn't as fast as ours. That's all I have for you."

* * *

Kageyama didn't like the idea of breaking down an opponent. He liked beating them with brute strength and talent, beating them by just being better than the person in front of him.

But Date Tech and Karasuno were direct opposites. If Karasuno was good at attacking repeatedly, Date Tech was good at taking as many of those attacks as they needed to. Neither team would take the lead by just repeating their same tired strategies.

 _Should we? Is it worth it? Should we break the Iron Wall from the foundation?_

Kageyama kept his eyes on Moniwa, on how he handled his team. He was the captain, yet he was incapable of stopping fights. He wasn't an exceptional setter, either. He didn't seem strong in any sense of the word. Yet for some reason, his entire team respected him and they listened to what he had to say.

He was the foundation, just like Aika said.

Karasuno's setter looked to the girl, only to see her looking guilty. That was the only way Kageyama knew how to describe her expression. She held her notebook against her lap, her pen resting on a blank page. Her hair fell in her face as she bit her lip.

 _It's not worth it, not even to Aika. She gave us an option, but she doesn't want us to take it. She doesn't want anyone to be hurt._

His fingers twitched, knowing exactly what was happening.

A grin took over his face, knowing that Karasuno was now strong enough to take down the Iron Wall with their bare hands.

* * *

Sugawara looked to Aika, who was looking anywhere but at Date Tech, even as the fearsome number 7 continued to target Hinata. He saw the look on her face, like she was about to cry, and frowned. She silently stood, leaving her notebook behind, walking towards Ukai as Asahi flew into the air, spiking the ball, which landed with a resounding thud.

She didn't celebrate, just stayed silent as the rest of Karasuno cheered. She leaned over to Ukai, whispered something to him, and moved towards the exit, stumbling as she did.

Sugawara frowned.

"Yamaguchi," he called. The freckled first-year looked towards him with a confused look. "I'll be back. If anyone asks, I went to the bathroom."

Yamaguchi nodded slowly, not questioning his senior, even though it was clear that he wanted to ask. He simply returned to the match, worry floating in his eyes. He even glanced towards the bench, biting his lip when he saw that their assistant coach had disappeared.

The silver-haired setter jogged towards the gym doors, pulling on his Karasuno jacket as he did. As he stepped into the hallway, he noticed how empty it was. His brow furrowed as he couldn't even see which direction Aika may have gone off in. His footsteps echoed through the halls as he looked for her.

 _How did she even manage to disappear so quickly like that?_

He looked around, unwilling to call her name. He feared that she wouldn't want to talk to him, but would hide away even further. That was the last thing he wanted. He simply wanted her to be able to confide in him if there was something that was bothering her. He wanted her to be able to trust him.

A blur of red caught his eye and he slowed down, his footsteps coming to a halt. Out the window of the front doors, he saw Aika, sitting against the pillar of the entrance. Her face was buried in her knees, her shoulders shaking slightly as she cried softly. Her hair fell into her face as she rubbed at her eyes with balled hands. Her eyes, as he caught a glimpse of them, were teary.

Sugawara's heart fell into his stomach as his feet unconsciously moved towards the sobbing girl. He pushed the door open, causing her to look up at him with his teary eyes.

* * *

Kageyama paused between plays, his eyes darting over to where Aika should have been. For some reason, she had disappeared, leaving nothing but her small notebook in her wake. Her pen was slowly rolling towards the edge of the bench until it fell off, clattering onto the floor of the gymnasium.

The sound echoed loudly to Kageyama, who winced.

He turned around, searching for her among the players, only to find that Sugawara had also gone missing. He frowned, remembering the look of pure guilt she'd had on her face after the time out. She'd probably run off out, due to the guilt that was probably weighing down on her, and Sugawara had probably followed her, out of pure concern for the girl.

His hands shook as he wondered if she was alright. He wanted to leave the court in order to find her, but he couldn't. Sugawara wasn't there to sub in for him, and he couldn't afford to leave the game. Karasuno needed him.

Sighing deeply, he decided to take as many points as he could.

That way, she wouldn't have to worry as much when she came back.


	11. Shine

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 11: Shine

Sugawara stood in front of Aika, watching as she fought back the tears that were already rolling down her face. She wiped them away, but they still fell, leaving her eyes raw and her cheeks wet.

Within a split second, Sugawara planted himself next to her, his body as close as he could possibly be to offer her warmth. He silently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her tiny frame into his much larger one. He said nothing as he used the thumb of his free hand to wipe her tears away as they fell down her face. Offering a small smile, he held her close, allowing her to bury her face into his shoulder as her shoulders shook.

"I'm not going to ask what's wrong," he said. "I know it's got to be big to have you sad like this, but I don't want to push you. You don't need me stressing you out. Just know that we can sit here as long as you need to. We don't have to go back until you feel better."

She muttered a quiet "thank you" into his jacket, her voice muffled, but he could still hear her devastated voice. He rested his cheek on the top of her head, feeling her hair rubbing against his skin as she cried as quietly as she could. He held her a little bit tighter, conflict settling in his chest. Her sniffles were the only thing that he could hear, and it was painful to listen to her cry.

"I… I told the team that they could aim for Date Tech's pillar, their-their captain," she confessed softly, her voice breaking. "I told them to… to hurt someone. But I-I don't want to see anyone else get hurt, but I don't want t-to lose. I don't… I don't want this to be the last game we get to play with our seniors. I-I'm not ready to leave the c-court yet… I want-want to help bring you all to victory here." Her voice became quieter and quieter until it was practically nothing more than a whisper, so much that Sugawara had to strain in order to catch her last sentence.

Realization dawned on Sugawara, and his eyes widened.

She'd taken on the immense pressure of being the person that a lot of the team trusted to identify the clearest path to victory. She'd felt as if she'd failed during the Nekoma game, even if there was nothing that she could have done to change the outcome. She'd worked as hard as any of them, studying their strengths and weaknesses, and attempting to hide whatever weaknesses she found.

This was her tournament to lose, just as much as any of the players on the court.

Perhaps it meant even more to her, since she'd failed to lead Hinata to victory against Kageyama and his much more experienced team less than a year prior. She'd lost her ability to lead her own team to victory due to a mistake she blamed fully on her own selfish desire to win.

It had probably worsened after seeing Ikejiri and the Tokonami team so disheartened after their own loss. She didn't want to see Sugawara or Daichi or Asahi like that.

So, she'd taken the easiest path to victory, and had told them to destroy a player's mentality by breaking him over and over and over again through spikes that he couldn't receive. She had faith in her team, but it was herself that she didn't believe in.

His grip tightened again as he pulled her even closer, something that he didn't realize was possible until that moment. "Winning the game on the court isn't your responsibility," he finally said, his tone as gentle as he could possibly make it. "It's more than enough that you and Coach Ukai pushed us to practice so much. You've done everything right. You don't have to take on anything else."

She shook in his arms, and his heart cracked a little as he finally began to see the true façade of the girl he'd seen as nothing but strength began to shatter. "I just don't want this to be the end for you," she murmured. "You deserve to be out there, just as much as Sawamura senpai and Azumane senpai."

"Thank you for saying that. But it'd mean so much to me just to see us earn the right to play one more set." There was reluctance in his voice, but he tried to hide it. "This won't be the end. Not by a long shot."

She was silent. Her only response was to let her head fall onto Sugawara's chest.

He swore that his breath caught in his throat for a moment. His pulse quickened, and he felt blood rushing to his cheeks. He hoped that his heart wasn't beating out of control. That would be far too embarrassing for him to recover from.

"Thank you, Suga."

Now he was sure that his heart was about to beat right out of his chest.

* * *

Kageyama wiped the sweat from his brow as he prepared for the second set. He looked around Karasuno's side of the court for any sign of the familiar red or silver hair, only to see neither of them. A frown tugged at the corners of his lips, his mind barely registering what Ukai had to say.

Two figures darted through the gymnasium doors, and the entirety of Karasuno's team, including the tall coach who'd been speaking about their change in rotation, turned to look at them, more than one person noting how close they seemed.

Sugawara had the decency to look sheepish about his and Aika's sudden entrance. "Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. The girl simply kept her gaze down, her eyes hidden from Kageyama's sight.

"Ah, Yamada." Ukai seemed unperturbed by her reappearance, although Kageyama caught the slightest bit of concern. "You're good?" She nodded. "We're just going to change the rotations so that Hinata won't go up against 6 or 7. Our rotation now goes—"

"I know how it'd go." She finally looked up, a frown on her face. Kageyama was taken aback for a moment by her bloodshot eyes that seemed to go against how strong her stance was. She ignored his gaze and continued, "But that matches Azumane senpai up against 7 on our first rotation, then it'd match Kageyama against him. I don't like that. It takes away two potential routes. It should be either Tsukishima or Sawamura senpai to go up against 7."

Ukai hummed for a moment. "But 6 is a threat, too," he argued.

She shrugged. "If your priority is keeping Shoyo away from 7, then moving rotation two spots is our best bet, but I don't know how the rest of the matchups will work."

Sighing, the coach put the whiteboard down. "Well, a matchup against 7 is unavoidable. Just shifting players around won't do anything for us unless we can show up. Even if we take Hinata out of the mark, we're just moving another person against 7." He ran his hand through his hair, looking somewhat stressed about facing the Iron Wall in the second set.

"It's fine. I'll face him." Azumane, for once, looked strong, resilient, even though he was usually terrified of everything. It was a nice change to see him so ready to fight for his right to remain on the court. "If Hinata is on, Karasuno is, too. I'll fulfil my role as ace, and I can promise that."

Kageyama looked towards Aika, whose teary eyes contrasted her proud smile as she watched Hinata and Azumane animatedly cheer each other on. She seemed as if she was lighter, like she'd gotten rid of something that was bothering her for a while.

His feet took him forwards, approaching her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his words surprising both of them.

Her red, wide eyes stared at him in disbelief for a moment. She managed a smile as she nodded up at him. "Yeah. I'm good, I promise. There was just some stuff I had to sort out. I let it affect my judgment of the situation, but no more. I'll be better from now on." She quickly bowed, and it was his turn to stare at her with wide eyes.

He recovered after a moment of shock, watching her stand back up, a determined fire in her eyes. That was all he needed to see to be convinced. "Good," he declared.

* * *

Aika watched as both Karasuno and Date Tech took one point after the other, neither of them willing to give anything to their opponent. She scanned the boys on her team, watching them for any sign of a weak point.

"Tsukishima's receives are getting better," she muttered to herself, moving to jot down an update in her notes, "but they still suck. You can tell by the look on his face. It's taking everything he has to just get the ball into the air while keeping it on our side."

Ukai nodded, agreeing with her. "We haven't had enough time with him. Or even on receives in general." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. "At least it's in the air. That's all we can ask for." He bit his lip, trying not to grin as Hinata moved to the vanguard.

Aika, however, let her feral grin take over her face, knowing that Shoyo wouldn't be facing the Iron Wall. His quicks and decoy plays would work even more easily on an unsuspecting blocker. He was fearsome, that was for sure.

Three points in a row went to Karasuno thanks to Shoyo rotating to the front. One from Shoyo's quick, one from Tanaka's spike, and one from Azumane's fearsome power hit, which blew past the blockers before they could think of stopping it. There was panic clearly written on the Date Tech coach as he called for a time out.

Karasuno gathered around the bench, Ukai throwing some last minute receiving advice at each of the boys. All of them took it in stride, even Tsukishima, who looked bitter about his poor skills.

Aika, however, pulled Shoyo aside as Ukai spoke to a few of the other players. "Shoyo, they're locked onto you," she murmured. "You're relying on your quick too much. It's a good thing that the blockers in the front are much slower than numbers 6 and 7, but even idiots like the blockers you're facing now will eventually catch up. Don't be afraid to take it a little bit slower."

Shoyo's bright orange hair moved up and down as he nodded vigorously. "I got it, Aika! I'm gonna take more points than ever, 'cause I'll make sure they don't see me coming!" he declared, a grin on his face.

Sighing at her friend's boundless enthusiasm, Aika ruffled his hair, eliciting protests from him. "Just take it easy. Don't wear yourself out before we can even show what we really have when we face Aoba Josai," she muttered to him.

Almost immediately, his face became serious. It was that scary kind of serious that was rare to see from someone as happy as Shoyo. "I understand. I really do. But I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that we can stay on the court." His eyes weren't showing any trace of his childish beliefs that he clung to in order to keep himself grounded. Instead, they were filled with only the belief that Karasuno would win.

Aika grinned at him.

"Then go out there and get us another set."

* * *

 _Watching from the sidelines is painful,_ Yamaguchi decided. _I… I want to be out there, too. I want to play with the other freshmen._

His hands clenched into fists as he watched Tsukishima and Azumane send number 7's quick sailing right to Date Tech's side of the court.

 _I want to be strong enough to support everyone, too._

His throat grew tired as he continued to cheer tirelessly with each cool toss Kageyama performed, or each impossible save Nishinoya got.

 _I know I'm not like them, but I want to be. I want to be like them._

His entire body shook with excitement as Hinata leapt for the ball, the blockers effortlessly following him, even though he wasn't the one who would be spiking.

 _I want to be as bright as the rest of them, standing tall in the spotlight. I want to be part of Karasuno, too!_

* * *

It wasn't like he was jealous of Hinata, eating up the blocker's attention. That was just Hinata's job. He was the one who was supposed to shine the brightest so that everyone else could have a chance.

But it didn't feel as cool anymore.

Asahi couldn't rely simply on his own power to break through the Iron Wall. He couldn't force his way through the blockers, and he wasn't fast enough to see an open court before the blockers could jump. He could only rely on Hinata's bright aura, the one that struck fear into anyone who had to block his quicks, to get a chance to see that court open up for him.

He wasn't jealous, though.

He was grateful.

Maybe Asahi didn't shine as brightly as the ace anymore. Maybe the title of "ace" didn't mean anything, or at least not as much as it used to.

 _"You can't win by yourself, but you don't have to. There's five other people on the court."_

Kageyama's words rang in his head. The words that helped him to return to the sport he loved so much.

Maybe he was a bit jealous. Hinata looked really cool.

But Hinata was his teammate, and no matter who the blockers followed, a point was a point. Even if Asahi had to rely on a tiny first year who couldn't serve very well, he could still earn a point. Even if he didn't get to be as in the spotlight as Hinata, that was okay.

He was still the ace, and his spikes would still find their home on the court of anyone who opposed him. Even if he got blocked, he'd continue to spike, continue to do his job as the ace, and continue to call for the toss. No matter how long it took, no matter who he had to rely on to help him, he'd spike the ball towards the empty court.

 _I am not alone._

Even without Hinata on the court, there were still others he could rely on.

Nishinoya saved the ball, tossing it up into the air. It arched right towards Kageyama, who lowered his arms to send it right towards Asahi, right towards the net.

 _I am not alone._

He could practically feel his team beside him as he pushed the ball against the Iron Wall, fighting with his own two hands against the blockers. He nearly cursed as his hand slipped, the ball falling towards Karasuno's side.

He could practically feel everyone holding their breaths. He could feel himself forget to breathe, too.

For a moment, there was no response from anyone around him.

 _I am not alone._

And then, as quick as lightning, a foot shot out to intercept, the ball never hitting the court, but simply the side of Nishinoya's sneaker. It bounced up into the air, sailing exactly to where Asahi need it to go, like it could hear his desperate thoughts.

His feet against the court kept him grounded, even as his gaze was focused solely on the ball overhead. He could see Kageyama running towards the ball, stretching out his arms to toss. He could hear Suga's voice, yelling for him to try, even just one more time.

 _I am not alone._

Kageyama's toss was perfect – a high toss, slightly away from the net. It was the one that Asahi knew best, the one that always came through for him. Even if it wasn't Suga tossing to him, like it had been the last time he'd needed to break through, it felt damn close. Daichi was yelling now, too, encouraging him to put all of his power into this one toss, this one spike. Other people were loudly chanting for him to spike, but Asahi barely heard any of them.

The only one that rang through his mind clearly was the voice of the bright decoy who had made his courage possible. Hinata's never-give-up attitude had somehow rubbed off on Asahi, and the ace felt a jolt in his chest as he leapt into the air, prepared to spike.

 _I am not alone._

And he swung his arm, hitting the ball with all his strength.

* * *

The final score was 25-22.

Karasuno took the final second set, defeating Date Tech in straight sets.


	12. Serve

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 12: Serve

"I'm so sorry!"

Everyone from both Karasuno and Date Tech stared at the small girl who was bowed practically ninety degrees, her hair falling messily around her face. She stared at the floor, ignoring the surprised look from Moniwa, Date Tech's captain, who she was bowing to.

"W-what?" the shocked senior managed to choke out, blinking rapidly. "W-what is there to be sorry for? You guys won, fair and square."

Aika looked up, biting her lip. "Um… I'm the assistant coach, and sometimes I make decisions… and I nearly made a bad one today. It would have hurt you and Date Tech a lot, and I'm really ashamed of it," she babbled. Immediately cutting herself off, she bowed once more. "Please accept my sincerest apologies for my poor showing!"

For a moment, it looked as if no one knew what to do, not even Shoyo, who stared at his long-time friend with an unreadable emotion.

Then, Moniwa laughed. "Is that all?" he asked kindly, aiming his gentlest smile at Aika, who, in shock, stood up straight. "Everyone has those plays. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes, people get hurt. If I'd gotten hurt today, it'd be my job to work through it. If you're the assistant coach, your job is to do what it takes. You were only doing what you had to." He lifted a hand and placed it on the smaller girl's head.

His kind grin almost made her burst into tears again. "Captain Moniwa…" She cut herself off, not wanting to give Karasuno any way to tease her.

He shrugged. "I'm not the captain anymore. My season's over, but I'll for sure be expecting to see you and Karasuno make it to the spring tournament preliminaries." He paused, then leaned down to whisper something in her ear. "I'm hoping you'll be able to help teach my troublesome juniors what it takes to lead a team," he muttered, making her laugh.

"You're always going to be their captain though," she whispered back. She nodded, gesturing to his team, who stood behind him, still looking bewildered at the turn of events. "Look at the way they respect you. That's not going to change just because your season is over."

Moniwa pulled away, eyes once again wide. A smile then settled over his face. "Thank you. It was an honor to be your opponent."

He held out his hand, offering a handshake, and she took it, holding on tightly, hoping that somehow, her gratefulness for his words of comfort could be felt.

* * *

Oikawa hated how he'd wished for Karasuno to lose.

He'd hoped that Kageyama's tosses would be too hard for the rest of his team to spike, hoped that their team would fall apart from the inside out, hoped that Date Tech's Iron Wall would simply prove to be too much to overcome. He'd hoped that, in the final moments, Karasuno's ace would break, just like he had the year before, and Date Tech could sweep in and take an easy win over the broken team who would struggle to function without the fearsome power their ace held.

But it was not to be.

The Fallen Champions had defeated the Iron Wall, and would move on to face Oikawa and his team.

Oikawa hated how he didn't want to face Karasuno.

He believed in his team more than anything. He believed in their training, in the hard work that every single person had put in, whether they were starting the court or the bench. He believed in the way that their team just managed to meld, working like a perfectly tuned machine. He believed in the trust he had worked so hard to form with every member of his team.

What he didn't believe in was how much hard work could stand against natural talent.

Because, to Oikawa, those two things could never compete against each other.

To Oikawa, Karasuno's team embodied the natural talent that his team did not. They had people who were talented at different things. They had their libero from Chidoriyama, the one who was well-known for being talented at receiving and saving. They had their powerhouse ace whose spikes held far more strength than they had any right to. They had their small middle blocker whose speed was unrivaled by anyone Oikawa had ever met. They had their setter, Tobio, who Oikawa hated more than anyone because of how intensely talented the younger boy was at being a setter.

It wasn't fair.

Oikawa had worked harder than anyone else. Aoba Josai had worked harder than any other team. They deserved their spot at the top.

Even in all his anger, he somehow managed to keep his face calm, even though his shoulders were tense as he prepared to perform his fearsome jump serve. He aimed his cold gaze at the opposite side of the net, tossed the ball into the air, and jumped. The ball made a resounding smack against his palm, one that he was sure rang loudly through the court.

The crowd cheered as Aoba Josai – as Oikawa – took another easy point.

* * *

The first set ended without much chance for Aoba Josai's opponent to make a comeback. There wasn't much they could do against a team like Aoba Josai. They could only watch as the match tilted further and further in favor of Aoba Josai.

Aika continued to scribble in her notebook, her characters sloppy for once as she hurried to write down all the information that she'd gotten just by watching the match. One set had been enough to see just how strong that Karasuno's next opponent really was. Seeing both sets was more than enough to give Aika information about them, but also worry her for Karasuno's survival.

Once again, she wasn't looking where she was going, too absorbed in the sport called volleyball, and she ended up running right into someone. She stepped back, quietly cursing the inkblot that had fallen from her fountain pen. "Sorry," she mumbled, stumbling to the left to move around whoever it was that she'd bumped into.

"Yamada, right?" Aika looked up to see Iwaizumi and his spiky hair. "You should watch where you're going. Wouldn't want you to get hurt." He paused, seeing her sloppy writing in her notebook, the top of the page labeled with his school's name. "Ah…"

Quickly, Aika shut her book and shoved it back into her bag, capping her pen and tossing it in as well. "Sorry, that's nothing. I saw your match. You guys were really good." She paused. "That creampuff server of yours from last time… I could see how he didn't really stand a chance starting while Oikawa's here." She hesitated. "Your spikes were strong, too."

He chuckled a little. "They're not as strong as the ones your ace manages, but thanks for saying that." A buzz caused him to pull out, which was the source of the buzzing, and glance at the notification that had lit up the screen. He made a noise of discontent as he glared at the object. "Shittykawa, you suck. I hope your hair gets stuck in a blender," he growled.

Aika laughed, hiding it behind her hand. "You two seem like you get along really well."

For a second, Iwaizumi seemed offended. His face soon turned into one of resignation as he sighed. "Yeah. We've been teammates for so long that it'd feel weird playing a game without him. He's always been the one to set spikes for me. I guess that's part of the reason I feel so confident in being the ace," he admitted, although he looked pained as he did so.

"I think it's nice that you have someone you can rely on so much." Iwaizumi stared at the girl, whose gaze was sincere as she smiled up at him. "It means that your teamwork is unbeatable."

"Should you really be saying that? We are going up against you tomorrow."

She just grinned. "We may not beat you and Oikawa, but the rest of your team is fair game," she shot back. He couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Aika!" The two were interrupted by a blur of orange that was running up to them, so quickly that they barely saw it until it barreled into Aika. "S-sorry! I just came to tell you that we're headed out, and you were taking so long that Sugawara senpai was worried that you were lost or something, so they sent me to come get you and tell you that the bus is leaving soon, so we gotta go!"

Shoyo's words spilled out faster than she could absorb them, but Aika just nodded. "Got it. Sorry, I got distracted and got separated. I was planning to catch up soon." She grabbed Shoyo's hand, and he held onto her own tightly, like she'd disappear if he let go. "Thanks for talking to me, Iwaizumi. Let's work hard tomorrow." She bowed slightly, and allowed Shoyo to pull her away, leaving a bewildered Iwaizumi behind her.

* * *

Shoyo held onto Aika's hand, feeling her skin beneath his. He slowed down, his thoughts weighing his body until it stopped moving.

She stopped, too, feeling his hand pulling at her. She gazed at him in worry, but offered him a reassuring smile. "Shoyo? Is something wrong?"

"Aika." The smile fell off her face at how serious Shoyo was. "You know you're my best friend, right? And that you can tell me anything, right?"

For a second, she hesitated. "W-where is this coming from, Shoyo?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke. He frowned at her, hearing the desperation to avoid his question in her voice. "You know everything you need to know."

Shoyo shook his head. "No, I don't. I need to know what's bothering you," he replied lowly, his voice void of any playfulness he usually held. Even his eyes were serious, dark even, as he looked at her, his gaze piercing her heart as she stared back at him.

For a second, Aika paused, thinking back to the way that she'd fled the gymnasium, the way that Sugawara had gone after her, the way that Kageyama had ensured she was okay, and the way that Moniwa had forgiven her without even thinking about it. Even with so many people supporting her, she still felt as if she'd been only a step or two away from making a decision she would regret.

"I… I just wanted to win today. And I almost had you and the others try to break a person who'd never hurt me." She bit her lip, her hands shaking. Shoyo could feel her hand trembling in his own, and he squeezed just a little bit tighter, hoping to offer some sort of comfort to her. "I don't want to lose, but I don't know if I hurting people… if it'd be worth it."

Shoyo was quiet for what felt like forever, his voice lost. He didn't know why Aika had decided that hurting someone was the only option, and why it hurt her so much to even think about entertaining that idea, but it wasn't one that he liked.

"I don't think it would be," he confessed finally. "If I had to hurt someone to stand on the court just a little longer, I wouldn't do it. I'd feel icky inside, you know? It wouldn't feel right, to stay standing at the cost of someone else."

Aika shook her head. "Everyone loses, Shoyo."

"Which means we'll lose, too." His eyes shone as he pulled her to face him, looking directly into her eyes. "I don't like the idea of that, but I know that we're not invincible. When we do lose, we'll lose because we weren't good enough to keep up with our opponents. We'll lose because we weren't the stronger ones. But until then, we won't lose."

He grinned widely as he saw her eyes widen. "Okay," she said, managing her own smile.

Shoyo said nothing more, simply turned around, still keeping a tight grip on Aika's hand. The only sound was the sound of their footsteps as they continued down the hall, towards the bus that would take them home for the day.

* * *

Looking across the aisle of the bus, Kageyama watched as a sleeping Hinata rested his head on Aika's lap, snoring peacefully as she read through a thick novel, one that he was sure would be beyond his knowledge. Although, as he looked closer, he wasn't sure that she was paying attention to the novel in her hands, opened to one specific page that he was sure she'd read a dozen times already.

She hadn't turned the page since she sat down and opened it. She just stared with cloudy eyes, like the characters printed on the small page were whispering a secret message to her.

He hesitated, not wanting to distract her. Her thoughts were important to her, and he knew that when she was thinking, she came to the best conclusions on how he could improve. She was always thinking about the Karasuno team, even when it seemed like she was paying attention to something else.

Movement caught his eyes, and he returned from his own thoughts to see Aika finally turning the page. Her eyes had cleared, and she seemed focused. Her gaze was sharper, almost predatory. It was the gaze that caused Kageyama to flinch, the one that looked just like the gaze of Nekoma's setter. It was those eyes that reminded him that she was just as strong as the rest of the boys, that she was always calculating a way to get what she needed.

If Kageyama was to be honest, which he never would be, the only time he ever feared Aika was when she looked at him with those eyes.

In her lap, Hinata tossed and turned, groaning as he readjusted for comfort. Aika tore her gaze away from her book, looking down at him in surprise.

Kageyama watched as her eyes softened in the way that they only did for Hinata. He was the only one that could ever get that kind of look from her. He was the only one she ever really showed any true friendship for.

He felt something lurch in his stomach as he watched her run her fingers through Hinata's orange hair. It was an unpleasant feeling, and he pursed his lips. He casually wrapped one arm around his middle, pushing down to see if he could get his stomach to settle.

It didn't work.

Instead, his stomach only lurched again as the bus came to a halt. It wasn't a harsh stop, but it was enough for Kageyama to notice it, to feel it in his gut.

"We're home, boys!" Takeda announced loudly – or as loudly as he could – causing some of the team to jolt awake. There was a loud commotion as Tanaka and Nishinoya collided in waking up, causing laughter from the rest of the sleepy team.

Aika gently pushed Hinata off of her, guiding him off the bus by tugging at his arm.

Watching that made Kageyama's stomach lurch again, but he ignored it as best he could as he followed the rest of the team off the bus.

* * *

Aika frowned as the team crowded around the television, watching the local recap of the day's tournament.

To no one's surprise, the team with one of the best players nationally, Wakatoshi Ushijima, had easily blown away their competition. It was the gap between the scores of Shiratorizawa and their opponent that had shocked.

 _25-6… no wonder they're ranked as one of the best teams in Japan._

Aika furrowed her brow, desperately rooting through her bag for her pen and notebook. She grabbed onto it, flipping open to a blank page. She quickly scribbled notes to check out the powerhouse team, research their players.

After all, if Karasuno won their next match against Aoba Josai, they'd move on to face Shiratorizawa.

 _I can't be underprepared. Not this time._

Suddenly, the room went cold.

Everyone's expressions had become stone-faced. Aika looked around her at the Karasuno players, all of whom were taller than her. For once, she saw them as intimidating. The way they were glaring at the television, like it'd offended them, which it probably had, was frightening.

"Guys?" she asked softly, looking around at the faces that slowly filled with a fire that hadn't been there before. No one replied to her, just glared even more at the screen.

Sawamura looked down at her, his eyes dark for once. It wasn't that chilling smile that he showed to his opponents, but one that masked the unpleasant feelings he was definitely feeling.

He looked at her, and said, "Please tell us what you noticed today. We need to do more." Aika blinked, and Sawamura nodded at her. "We're counting on you, Yamada."

Aika's heart suddenly leapt at that, her chest feeling full. She smiled fully, not wanting to start crying again. Once was enough for one day.

"Right!"


	13. Warmth

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 13: Warmth

Shinji rubbed his sleep-filled eyes as he practically stumbled down the stairs. A loud crash had roused him from his sleep at the unholy time of four in the morning. Even birds weren't up so early in the morning. Even the _sun_ wasn't up as early as his sister.

He made his way into the kitchen, nearly tripping over a book he'd carelessly left out. Cursing, he blinked at the lights that were clearly on far earlier than they had any right to be.

His sister stood in the kitchen, apron hung from her neck, leaning over around a dozen lunchboxes, carefully placing something into each one individually. There were plates with huge amounts of food behind the boxes on the counter Her eyes were so focused that Shinji couldn't help but be curious as to why she was working so hard.

"Aika, what're you doing?" he asked. His voice wasn't loud, but it'd clearly startled his sister, who ended up dropping the chopsticks in her hand. The wooden sticks clattered on the counter as she whirled around with eyes wide.

She breathed in a huge sigh of relief. "Jeez, Shin, you scared me. Did I wake you up?" she asked, clearly choosing to ignore his question.

Amused, he crossed his arms. "C'mon, Ai. Tell me."

He could see the wheels turning in her head as she attempted to find a way to get out of answering his nosy question. Instead, she sighed, turning her attention back to the bento boxes. He swore that he could see a dusting of red coloring her cheeks as she turned away from him.

"I'm making lunches. The boys… they all work really hard, so I thought I'd try to make them a homemade lunch." She picked the chopsticks back up, carefully moving bits of the food she'd made into each of the boxes. "It's not… like, amazing… but it tastes good. I just wanted to do something for them," she mumbled, her voice so low that he strained to hear.

Shinji moved to stand next to her. "Then what was the crash?" he asked curiously, rolling his sleeves up. He pulled his own somewhat long hair up into a ponytail and reached for his own pair of chopsticks.

She frowned. "I-it was me moving things around. Sorry it was loud, but I tried to move the pot I cooked in." She paused, an embarrassed look sweeping over her usually-composed face. "I messed up a lot," she admitted. "I haven't really slept. I told myself that I'd be in bed by midnight, so I could refrigerate the lunches and get some sleep, but I messed up pretty badly."

"H-how?" he stuttered, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Aika hesitated. "I… I overcooked the rice. I had to make a second bowl, then I had to make more 'cause I misjudged how much goes into a bento. And then I nearly burned the potatoes as I made the curry, so I had to work real hard to salvage it." She bit her lip. "It-it's passable, at least."

For a moment, Shinji examined the lunches that she'd made, the ones that she'd finished, at least. There was curry at the bottom of each box, a layer of it. It was filled with carrots and potatoes, and it smelled rather good, even for Aika, who had consistently failed to cook.

It'd always been Shinji who made the food in the house. He always had dinner ready for when Aika returned from her volleyball practice in middle school, then later, her doctor's appointments. He had learned the recipes that their parents had written down before the accident, and had perfected them over the years. Food was his way of coping with loss and his way of providing for Aika as best he could until he graduated college and got a job.

Aika, however, had never been talented at cooking. She'd never been good at following step-by-step instructions. It didn't matter what it was, but what mattered was that she couldn't follow instructions. It could've been something as simple as building a paper plane, but she would never do it the same way as everyone else. She needed to do things her own way, and cooking had to be a certain way in order for it to be successful.

Yet here she was, slaving away over at least a dozen lunchboxes, all halfway full of curry. Some of them had been finished, with a neat portion of rice hiding the curry from view.

She was pouring her heart and soul into something that she wasn't confident in, just for a group of boys who lived and breathed volleyball, the very sport she'd loved until her love for it was shattered. She wanted to give them back something for the way that they'd convinced her to fall in love with volleyball once more, the way that they'd given her a way back in.

Looking closer at the lunches, Shinji fought the smile that was tugging at the corner of his lips. He noticed how, on the finished lunches, Aika had cut tiny designs from seaweed and placed them carefully.

"They're all different," he commented, looking from the lunch with the sun design on it to the lunch with the falling feather design. "You made one for everyone?"

Aika flushed a dark red, her head hanging and her hands freezing where she was attempting to place a cartoonish-looking bird cut from seaweed on another lunch. "I… they're all different because all of the boys, they're all different." She bit her lip and carefully set the bird on the rice.

Shinji smiled softly, seeing the happiness in her eyes, something he hadn't truly seen since she'd met that boy, her friend, Shoyo Hinata.

"Do you want my help, or would you like to do this yourself?"

She looked up at him and managed a soft smile. "I'd like to do this myself," she replied. "It's important that these are from me to them."

Moving away from her, Shinji kept a careful eye. "I'll make you your lunch, then. I counted fifteen lunches, and that's enough to feed a small army, but I don't think you included yourself." He smiled even wider at her flustered face.

"T-thanks," she stuttered out, refusing to look at him. Instead, she simply reached for the rice bowl and began to finish another of the lunches.

Shinji just laughed quietly.

 _I should thank those boys on my own later. They brought back my little sister._

* * *

Kageyama had always been an early riser. It was part of his routine, and he was proud of it.

He'd get up early and get dressed in his gym clothes, including his favorite sweatshirt he'd bought when he was in middle school. He'd run about two miles, one mile away from his house and one mile back. When he got home, he'd shower the grime off and prepare for the day. He'd pull his uniform out of the dryer and dress himself, preparing for the day ahead.

After he'd ensured he'd finished all his work, even if it meant sitting down and sometimes cramming in time to finish homework while eating breakfast, he'd leave for early morning practice.

But tournament days were different.

Tournament days made it difficult for Kageyama to focus on anything but the games ahead of him. The night before a big game, he'd almost always dream of both winning and losing scenarios. He'd almost always dream of every play, every toss, every possible outcome.

And he'd always arrive on time, determined to make sure that the outcome was victory.

As he arrived at Karasuno, he noticed that someone else was already there.

He wasn't used to being second to arrive. He'd gotten to the bus earlier than he had the previous day. It was still only six in the morning.

All he could see was a familiar, small girl with candy colored hair sitting on the stairs of the gym, leaning against a boy who looked to be a bit older. The boy had the same color hair as Aika, and held a manga in his hand, flipping lazily through the pages of the comic.

Kageyama met the other boy's eyes, only to receive a smile in return. "Good morning," the boy said, closing the manga as he focused on Kageyama. "You're part of the volleyball team, right?" Kageyama only nodded, but the boy seemed relieved. "Oh, great, I'm so glad you're here. Listen, I'm on morning duty, so I need to get to my classroom soon, but Ai fell fast asleep, and I can't bring myself to wake her up. Would you mind just… taking my place?"

Blood rushed to Kageyama's cheeks as he stuttered out a not-so-intelligent response. He couldn't bring himself to answer the boy, but instead just reluctantly nodded. He nearly punched himself for nodding, but his rapid heartbeat stopped him.

"Great, thanks so much." The boy beckoned him over, and gently, with one hand, lifted Aika's head off his shoulder. "C'mere, please. She'll only sleep comfortably if she has someone warm to be close to."

Kageyama wanted to argue that he wasn't a warm person, that his warmth was only physical. He'd be too stiff for Aika to properly relax, too nervous for her to have a nice pillow, too alert to really give in to the comfort of having someone close.

Yet, for some reason, he kept his mouth shut and moved around the boy, sitting down next to Aika on the stairs.

He felt Aika's companion lower her head onto Kageyama's upper arm. She shifted in her sleep, furrowing her brow, like she knew that there was something wrong, that there was some sort of difference, but she didn't wake up. Kageyama could only stare at her sleeping face, the one that was pressed against his arm. She was so short that she didn't reach his shoulder, even while sitting down.

The older boy breathed another sigh of relief. "Thanks so much for this." He bowed, further flustering Kageyama. "You really saved me here. It's near impossible to wake her up when she sleeps like this, plus she didn't really sleep last night." He softly ran a hand through Aika's hair, which was, for once, not in her signature ponytail.

"Why was she awake?" Kageyama couldn't help but ask.

Chuckling a little as he pushed a strand of hair from Aika's face, the boy replied, "She was up late working hard for the people she cares about." He then turned his gaze, one that reminded Kageyama far too much of Aika, and smiled. "Thanks for taking care of my sister. I'm counting on you."

He bowed again and, before Kageyama could untie his tongue to manage the words that were rattling around in his mind, he sprinted off towards the school. He left Kageyama behind with Aika sleeping peacefully against the setter.

Still red from the sudden burst of thanks from who he now knew was Aika's older brother, Kageyama simply moved his gaze to Aika. She was still fast asleep, and now seemed comfortable against him. She'd shifted again, her hair falling into her face as she pressed her cheek into the sleeve of Kageyama's jacket. He couldn't help but note how long her hair was, note the way it fell over her shoulders.

He couldn't help the way he reached over to her, carefully twisting her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

He couldn't help the way his heart beat a little faster when he finally saw all of her sleeping face.

But he didn't move.

Instead, Kageyama sat there, forcing himself to stay completely still as she napped peacefully against him.

* * *

The bus rolled up to the Karasuno high school, stopping right in front of where Kageyama was sitting with a still asleep Aika. Somehow, the bus didn't wake her.

"You're early," Takeda commented, seeming somewhat surprised by the appearance of the two kids who had to have gotten to the school at least thirty minutes before him. "Is Aika alright? If I'd seen that she was asleep, I'd have been quieter."

Kageyama shook his head. "It's fine. She doesn't really seem that easy to wake."

Takeda couldn't help the smile that spread across his face at the sight of the introverted setter and the stoic assistant coach, two people who hadn't really opened up to much of the team, curled up together, waiting for the bus to pick them up.

"Do you need help waking her?"

The younger male shook his head again, instead shifting, letting Aika fall against him again. "No, thank you. I'll take her onto the bus," replied Kageyama politely.

Much to Takeda's surprise, Kageyama hooked his arm underneath Aika's legs. He was sure that he saw a large blush covering Kageyama's face, but chose not to comment on it. Instead, he moved out of the way as Kageyama, who had Aika tucked into his arms, carried her onto the bus.

"Can you get her bags? I couldn't grab them without putting her down."

Takeda carefully picked up Aika's bag after hearing Kageyama's request. He slung it over his shoulder and followed his students onto the bus, if only to put her bag down. Kageyama had already put his bag on the seat near the driver's seat. Takeda made sure to place Aika's down right beside her friend's.

He looked up, searching for the two, only to see Aika still snoozing, her entire body relaxed as Kageyama allowed her to sleep against him once more. The boy was flipping through a magazine, his earbuds in as he read. Even though there were pillows for napping that Takeda had brought after nearly all of the team had fallen asleep the day before, Kageyama had allowed her to continue sleeping against him.

The supervisor smiled again, feeling his heart fill with warmth for his students and their growing relationship with each other.

He turned on his heel, hoping not to disturb the two, and returned to the outside of the bus to wait for the rest of the students.

* * *

Somehow, no one commented on how they found the two when they arrived.

Not even Tanaka, who usually would comment on something like this, or Tsukishima, who took every opportunity to make fun of the "King of the Court." Everyone was silent and respectful, taking their seats without even giving the odd pair a second glance.

Shoyo was the only one who got close. He sat down next to the sleeping Aika and curled up next to her. He flexed his fingers and arms, trying not to move and disturb her. He simply watched as Kageyama, who was now watching a video on his phone, didn't even acknowledge his stare.

The small middle blocker couldn't help but smile.

Aika had never really had any friends besides him during middle school. He remembered her saying that she'd always thought that volleyball was all she needed, and that she'd never made an attempt to get close to her teammates. They were her teammates, yes, but they weren't her friends.

She'd often said, "you know, you're the first person I've ever told this to," whenever she would tell him something personal, even if it was as minor as her feelings about a certain book series or her preferred place to get ramen after a game.

Maybe she wasn't talking to people about her personal life yet, but she was letting them close. She let him in, and she was letting both Sugawara and Kageyama in. That was an important step for her.

To Aika, maybe they weren't friends just yet. Maybe they were just people she could deem as allies, people who she could rely on during a game to be on her side, even if she wasn't playing.

But maybe they could turn out to be friends to her.

Shoyo hoped they would, at least.


	14. Kings

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 14: Kings

Oikawa knew that he wasn't the most perfect person in the world, like some seemed to think.

He knew he was a petty person when it came to his relationships and a prideful person when it came to his own image. He knew that he could be mean, that his words could be hurtful, even if he knew that the person on the receiving end of them didn't really deserve it.

And he knew that he wasn't the volleyball genius everyone claimed him to be.

If he was to be completely honest, if he had worked even slightly less on any part of what people adored him for, he wouldn't be able to stand up to anyone on the court. In fact, his setting and jump serves weren't something that he was just _able_ to do. He'd dedicated months, if not years, to perfecting his technique. He had to work so, _so_ hard just to prove himself to the world.

He was no prodigy.

Not like Tobio Kageyama, his ambitious junior who was sure to outclass him in every possible way in the near future.

Angrily, although with an outward calmness that was the complete opposite of his internal feelings, Oikawa turned his gaze from where the ball he'd just tossed for one of his teammates had landed. He turned towards where Karasuno had just entered the gymnasium.

Among the black and orange clad team stood Tobio, who was quietly talking with Aika Yamada at the bench. The two of them were looking at the notebook in Aika's hands as she pointed something out to him, the younger setter nodding in understanding. She even gestured to the blonde beanpole that seemed to be disinterested in what was going on around him, and, despite his scowl, Tobio nodded at her, agreeing with whatever it was that she'd said.

The one thing that never changed about Tobio was his ambition. He'd always been diligent in practice. He'd always absorbed information freakishly fast, and he'd always done well with whatever he learned.

Oikawa bit his lip as he prepared to toss once more.

He hated that the setter who lacked any ability to mesh with his team was the one who was a prodigy. Tobio could just toss and it'd be good enough. But Oikawa had to work hard to get his team to trust him, to understand what they wanted.

It wasn't fair.

* * *

The whistle blew, signaling for the match to begin, and Kageyama stood among the rest of his team, staring down Aoba Josai. Narita stood on his right and Hinata stood on his left. He was surrounded by his teammates, surrounded by people that he knew wouldn't let him down when it mattered most. They were all people who would be on the other side of his tosses, prepared to spike them onto the opponent's side of the court.

He subtly looked towards Oikawa, who seemed unbothered by everything that was about to happen.

Kageyama remembered the day that he first saw Oikawa in a match, the day that he began to admire the older boy as a fellow setter.

Oikawa had won the "best setter" award when Kageyama was just coming in as a rookie. He'd shown off powerful jump serves and accurate tosses in his third year, and had led Kitagawa Daiichi to victory at more than one point in time. He'd been known as the pillar of the team, and had proven it over and over again. He was someone that every incoming setter looked up to.

He was someone that, at the time, Kageyama had wanted to be like.

Kageyama had wanted to be loved and admired the way Oikawa was. He'd wanted to be respected by his teammates and feared by his opponents. He'd wanted to be appreciated by the rest of his classmates, and maybe even loved by a few of them.

He wasn't quite sure when that dream had died.

Maybe it was the day he became "King of the Court."

Maybe it was the day that people began to resent him.

Or maybe it was the day he realized that his idol _hated_ him.

But none of that mattered anymore, especially not now that they were facing each other in a match. A true match, not a practice match, as opponents and rivals. It was Kageyama's chance to surpass the "best setter" he'd wanted to be like for years.

Moving his gaze only slightly, he saw Aika, who was standing, gazing at the line of Aoba Josai players with the same determination he felt in his gut. He couldn't help but feel his hands curl into fists as he remembered that it wasn't just about him anymore. It wasn't just about his rivalry with Oikawa. It wasn't just about his need to prove his worth to both the world and to himself.

It was about bringing Karasuno to the finals, bringing them past the top 16.

It was about letting the third years know what it was like to be successful, about proving that they weren't the "clipped crows" anymore. It was about showing how brightly Hinata could shine when he was on the court, about allowing him the chance to fight for victory on a national stage.

And it was about Aika. About the dream she'd never get to experience first-hand. About seeing a team she loved so much, dedicated so much to, get to a place she'd never get to be on her own.

He took a deep breath, resolving himself as he bowed deeply to the opponents.

It was about their team.

* * *

Aika tried to ignore the tension in her shoulders, but failed miserably. She could feel herself curling inwards a little at how nervous she was as Tsukishima served the first serve of the game.

She knew how important this game was to everyone.

It wasn't just a grudge match against one of the best schools in the prefecture. It wasn't about Oikawa or Kageyama, either. It was to prove to themselves that they could stand among the best and put up a fight, maybe even take home the victory. They had to show that they were worth the time and effort that they'd dedicated to making their once small team grow.

Her thoughts were interrupted rudely by the knowledge that the Aoba Josai player wearing the jersey labeled "1" had just spiked past three blockers and earned the first point of the game. Her eyes widened as she realized that it'd been Oikawa who'd spiked.

"W-what…" she managed to choke out.

There was no doubt about it at this point.

She'd thought it the moment that she saw the stark contrast between the cream puff setter and Oikawa during their practice match against Aoba Josai, but the way that the air around the team shifted and the way that they trusted him, even without knowing what he was going to do, cemented what she already known.

Oikawa was the pillar of Aoba Josai.

They functioned fine on their own, without him as their setter, but with him, there was even more to fear. He was strong and talented and smart, and he knew it. And he knew exactly how to play to the strengths of everyone on his team, even his own.

He also knew how to prey on the weaknesses of his opponents.

There was nothing else but tension in her body as she came to realize exactly who and what they were up against.

The whistle rang again as the second point went in favor of Aoba Josai.

 _He's terrifying._

* * *

Kageyama pursed his lips in thought. He knew that Oikawa was watching, waiting for everyone on Karasuno's side of the net to move. He knew that Oikawa would see every motion and be prepared for every last person to move.

 _Well, maybe not all of us._

At the last possible moment, he swiped sideways at the ball, dumping it over the net and past the blockers, a vicious grin on his face as it landed. He could see the shock on everyone's faces, including his own spikers, but he didn't care. A point was a point.

 _You're not the only one who can perform a dump._

His eyes sharpened into a glare as they met Oikawa's, whose gaze was threatening as the two passed by each other, both of them preparing to take the next play.

He chanced a look to Aika, who looked tense and stressed, her shoulders nearly up to her ears as she watched the game. Her eyes turned to him as he moved, and she offered him a small, reassuring smile, even though she looked like she needed one, too.

So, he offered one back.

It was small, so no one else would see it, but he wanted to give her something in return.

The look on her face, the one of shock, something he rarely saw on her, was worth it.

Aika couldn't help but giggle at the sheer overconfidence that all of the boys seemed to share. No one was willing to lose to the other, even if they were teammates. Every single boy wanted to show their own success and prove that they were the best player on the court.

If they surpassed their teammates, that was great. If they surpassed the other team, that was even better.

It was their competitive natures that drove each and every one of them to continue to try harder and harder. Each of them had their own way of proving that they were the best, and each of them held themselves to different standards of improvement. Some were higher than others, like comparing someone like Tsukishima to someone like Hinata.

But the most interesting two were the two setters, who were so similar but so different at the same time.

Kageyama was a prodigy. Oikawa was not.

Yet that was the only real difference between them.

Both of them had to work extremely hard to get to the level that they were currently at. Both of them had practiced their techniques extensively as they tried to become the best that they could possibly be. Both of them were stubborn and believed that there was always room to improve. And both of them very clearly placed their sport before themselves at any and every turn.

They were more similar than they were different, and it showed in the ways that their jump serves practically mirrored each other.

It was just that Oikawa had more experience in being able to reach his potential and tap into what made him so threatening, while at the same time realizing where his true skills were. Kageyama still had more to learn, even though his technique was on par with Oikawa's.

Perhaps that was why Hinata's nickname of "Great King" fit so well with Oikawa, while Kageyama was still just a "King."

* * *

 _There's something fundamentally different about Tobio._

Oikawa couldn't help that thought that permeated his brain. He couldn't help but notice the small nuances in the way that his junior carried himself, the way he behaved himself.

"It's unnerving," he muttered to himself as he glanced at the scoreboards.

There had only been five plays in the entire game, but it'd felt like forever. It'd felt like they'd been playing for hours for all the tension that was filling the gymnasium, and Oikawa was definitely feeling how much was on the line in this match.

But Oikawa had noticed something in just those four plays.

Kageyama was still incredibly competitive, refusing to lose to anyone at his own game. He fought fire with fire, using a setter dump to gain Karasuno's first point. He used a blatant fake-out to trick poor Kindaichi into running in the opposite direction of a toss. There was no telling what other kinds of tricks he'd picked up over the course of a few months.

On the outside, it seemed like everything was the same with Kageyama.

But Oikawa knew differently.

As Kindaichi spiked, his jump towering over the small orange-haired boy, Oikawa looked to Kageyama, who was frowning.

It was like Kageyama was upset that the smallest middle blocker had gone up against Aoba Josai's best jumper. Not only was there a stupid height difference, but there was also a ridiculous difference between experience of both players.

Perhaps Kageyama was feeling it.

Or perhaps it was because he knew Oikawa was smarter.

His smirk only grew wider as he heard the small number 10 yell once more, confirming what he'd figured out the night before.

 _I've got you figured out, Tobio._

* * *

"I think it's time that we change things up," Aika remarked, referring to the timeout that Aoba Josai had just asked for. "It's clear that you two," she sent a look at the first year duo, "were too obvious in your signals. I'm not quite sure what you were thinking, but you're going to have to come up with something else, and fast."

She sighed, closing her notebook. Her shoulders were feeling like they were under a hundred pounds of weights, and she rolled them in order to loosen them up.

Kageyama glanced at her, realizing how much stress this game was putting on her. She'd taken on the job of figuring out their opponents, and this opponent just so happened to be one of the harder ones to really pin down and figure out.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She nodded and looked back up at him. "As for what I've learned… since the timeout is really early, I haven't gotten a lot. But one thing I do know is that they're a much different team than the one we faced earlier this year. We are, too, of course, but something's happened with their new players. Each of them seem to have one skill they've been practicing over and over again, and it's showing."

She gestured to Kindaichi as an example, and Kageyama frowned.

It was clear that Oikawa's influence had been such an important part of what helped Kindaichi grow as a player. In the time Kageyama had played with him, Kindaichi had never once shown the same amount of trust in his setter and had never once tried as hard as he did for Oikawa.

Aika took one look at him, then sighed. "I know how this probably feels. It's not easy, facing people you once knew. But look at it like this: you're a different person, too. Even if it feels like they're miles away now, and you've taken only a few steps forward, they probably feel that way about you, too," she assured him, taking a quick look at the Aoba Josai team.

He glanced at her, then back at Oikawa, who was speaking to Aoba Josai with a confident smile on his face.

"I admire him, you know," he admitted. "He's why I wanted to become the best."

"Which is what lead to you becoming known as the King of the Court, right?" He wouldn't deny that her words hurt a little, but he nodded. "Well, then forget that you admire him. You can admire him all you want when the game's over. Right now, we need you to be better than he is." Her sharp eyes caught his. "Just like Oikawa's their pillar, you are ours. We need you in the game."

Kageyama could only stare at her for a moment, but then he nodded.

"Right."


	15. Difference

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 15: Difference

Kageyama took a deep breath as he tried to calm his racing heart.

It was really something, playing against someone who was leading such a strong team. It wasn't like they were really exceptional players, unlike someone like Nishinoya or someone like Azumane. But it was their setter who was truly exceptional.

He was smart and controlled, and he knew how to handle his team.

 _"Just like Oikawa's their pillar, you are ours."_

Kageyama didn't know if he could believe it. The gap between the scores was just becoming too large. It wouldn't be impossible to overcome, but it was a score that was intimidating, especially after coming off the backs of two overwhelming victories.

He wanted to be the pillar of Karasuno. He really did.

He wanted to lead them to nationals, lead them to victory. He wanted every toss to end in a point, and even if it didn't he wanted to know that there was still a chance to come back. He wanted to show strength and control, even in times when the team was backed into a corner that seemed impossible to get out of. He wanted to be able to stand before the team and promise them that he wouldn't let them down, and he wanted them to be able to believe him.

But how could they believe in him when he couldn't even come up with signals that weren't so incredibly easy to figure out?

How could they believe in him when he could feel himself shrinking beneath Oikawa's huge presence?

How could they believe in him when he didn't believe in himself?

He could feel his panic setting in, feel his racing heart that he'd worked to calm simply wind up again. He could feel it beating right out of his chest, like it was about to run out on the court to play and leave his body behind.

It was a terrifying feeling.

* * *

Aika said nothing as the timeout was called.

She had no new information about Aoba Josai. There were only the things that everyone had already figured out. Nothing she had collected was anything that was game-changing to know. The only things that she'd learned were about her own team.

"Kageyama."

Even though she'd already spoken to him, she could see how he was feeling. He turned to her, his shoulders clearly stiff from the pressure he'd put on himself.

"Please calm down," she said, trying to make her tone as soft as possible. "You're not helping anyone by making rash decisions and forcing yourself to take on the entire rest of the court." She took a deep breath upon seeing his face become offended. "I'm not saying you're doing poorly. I'm saying you need to rely on your team. We're all here."

She gently patted his arm, then moved back to the bench, where she gestured to Shoyo to come talk to her.

"What's up?" he asked, his wide eyes looking curious.

Aika looked to the rest of the team. "Shoyo, I need you to do something for your team." His eyes widened. "I need you to be the best decoy ever. You can't let this get you down, and you need to help bring back the morale of the team. You have to shine as bright as ever."

* * *

Sugawara noted a small presence next to him, and looked over to see the assistant coach. She didn't even look at him as she sighed heavily, glancing at the scoreboard.

"With Oikawa serving, point after point is going in Aoba Josai's direction. Everyone's morale is decreasing, and you can see that, too, right?" She looked up at Sugawara, who felt his chest jolt when he met her eyes.

Forcing himself to calm down, he nodded, looking back towards the game, where Aoba Josai continued to target Tanaka. "Yes. It's easy to see that they… that their end goal is to destroy our team's spirit," he admitted, hating how hurt and lost that his friend was feeling.

"You should start warming up."

He glanced to Aika in surprise. "What?" he found himself choking out.

She looked to him, seeming surprised by his surprise. "What do you mean, 'what?' You're still a setter, and you're still part of Karasuno. I tried talking to our stupid prodigy, but he's still panicking."

She sighed, looking to Kageyama, who was looking incredibly stressed out as he stood on the court. It was clear to Sugawara that his junior wasn't able to hold up too well against the pressure that was currently heaping on top of him.

"He doesn't look so good…"

"He's making stupid mistakes because he's scared. He doesn't like the way the score is going, so he's taking it upon himself to try to reverse it." She sighed again, running a hand through her hair as she put her other hand on her hip. "I told him that we needed him the same way Aoba Josai needs Oikawa. But I don't think he realizes what that way is." She looked to Sugawara again. "You do. If it gets worse, I'll call you over. If I do, leave your jacket here."

She turned, leaving him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. He must've looked like a fish, but that didn't matter to him at the moment.

 _I could… I could play?_

* * *

Tanaka was the hardest spirit to quell on Karasuno.

It was clear that he was hurting and upset, blaming himself and his skill level for the amount of points Aoba Josai had gained in just the past few plays. But if there was one thing that Tanaka was good at, it was recognizing that he wasn't alone.

After all, he was the loud mood maker who always knew exactly what to say whenever one of his teammates was feeling disgruntled about something or other. He'd been the one to cheer on every single one of his teammates whenever they got a point. He was even the first to congratulate all of his team with a smile as loud as his voice whenever they won.

Even if he knew that he wasn't the best player, he also knew that responsibility wasn't on him alone.

He was the spirit that Karasuno so desperately needed.

Breaking him was going to be next to impossible.

Even as both teams reconvened on the court, Tanaka forced himself to feel no fear. He was facing something that he knew like the back of his hand – a volleyball. No matter who was in front of him, the one thing that was always the same was that he was playing a game he knew very well.

And he knew that he could receive one _stupid_ serve from one _stupid_ guy.

As it hit him in the chest, he bit his lip as he saw it falling, as if in slow motion, towards the court. No one was close enough to help him out, and he knew that even Nishinoya would have trouble getting there in time, despite how fast their libero was.

 _Shit…_

But a blur of orange came out of nowhere, diving for the ball and digging it back up, into the air, right towards another blur, who bumped it right over the net.

The ball flew towards that one _stupid_ guy, and then back towards them.

This time, it was Nishinoya who desperately dove for the ball, keeping it from hitting their side of the court. Tanaka could feel the presences on all sides, feel his team right there with him as they prepared to begin their counterattack.

He wasn't the only person on his side of the court – on their side of the court. He was part of a group of sixteen amazing people, all of whom he respected. Some of the reasons he respected them were different than others, but he loved all of them just the same. They all inspired him to be even better than he had been the day before.

His voice would not be silenced here.

He wouldn't allow it.

"To the left!" he yelled, psyching himself up.

This was his game, just as much as anyone else's. Even if he wasn't the best player or the strongest player or the smartest player, he was still someone who'd earned his place standing alongside Karasuno, a team of the smartest, strongest, and best players he knew.

Maybe he was pretty okay after all.

His hand hit the ball, spiking it towards the exact place it needed to go. It landed without any interference, not even from that one _stupid_ guy who had failed to silence him.

That point… that point was his point.

* * *

It was still 15-9, even after that disgusting duo's quick.

Oikawa settled his pulse, feeling the pressure and tension rolling off Tobio's shoulders in large, oppressive waves. If he could feel it all the way from where he stood on the other side of the court, he was sure that the rest of Karasuno was feeling it as well.

It was probably going to get even worse as the game went on, and as Oikawa continued to feed off of Tobio's panic and desperation.

He knew exactly how to push Tobio's buttons.

That point gap wasn't going to be lessening any time soon, no matter what Tobio tried to do. If Oikawa had any say in the matter, the gap would only increase, not decrease. There was nothing that Tobio could do to keep the gap from increasing – not when his panic was controlling his every action.

He had three more years of experience as a setter, and that was the biggest difference between them. If Tobio had his natural talent on his side, Oikawa had time. Perhaps it was only right then that Oikawa would be the one to knock his obnoxious prodigy of a junior down a few pegs, make him panic until he fell right back into his old habits.

Oikawa almost felt bad for the Karasuno team.

They deserved better than an oppressive setter who was prone to crumbling under pressure.

Perhaps if they had someone else, things could have gone differently.

Or not.

Either way, Aoba Josai would still take the win. Of that, Oikawa was very, very certain.

* * *

Aika could feel the stress radiating from Kageyama. It was a heavy, tense stress that was causing him to panic and move strangely. He wasn't the cool and collected Kageyama who could always make a smart move in any situation, the Kageyama that she was used to seeing.

No, this Kageyama was scared.

"Coach," she called softly. Ukai looked over to her. "We need to make a change."

Ukai sighed. "I know. Kageyama's losing his cool." He crossed his arms, and looked to her with a solemn expression. "We've practiced with Sugawara before, but I'm not sure if this is the right time to start him, especially without the first years really knowing his style."

She shook her head. "I know he'll be fine," she assured with a small, knowing smile. "Sugawara senpai's the type to adjust based on what his team needs, not what he wants. That's the one thing Kageyama doesn't understand. Maybe by watching his senpai, he'll be able to start getting it." She grinned, looking over to the silver-haired setter, who was yelling loudly, cheering for his team.

"I'll trust you on that, then." Ukai nodded, his own grin on his face, although his looked more like a grimace. "Call him over. We're going to put him in."

Aika's grin grew even wider as she looked for Sugawara once more. She met his eyes and beckoned him over. Upon seeing her calling for him, his eyes widened, and he looked as if he was about to cry from joy. Not that Aika could blame him.

He'd technically lost his position as a starting setter to his junior, and now, he was getting to play again in an official match, where the stakes were higher than ever before.

"Sugawara senpai, here." She handed him the sign with Kageyama's number, 9, on it. As he attempted to take it from her, she stopped him for a moment, holding onto it with both hands, trapping his hand under one of her own. Wide, surprised eyes met hers as she looked up at him, gazing at him with all the sincerity she could hold. "I know you'll do great. So, even if you can't save this one, just know that I believe you can help us take the next."

He nodded, his smile gentle as he pried the sign from her hands. As he did, he reached up to pat her head, his hand then moving to tuck a strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear. She could feel herself blushing at his touch, hating the fact that he could cause blood to rush to her face at a time like this.

"Because you trust me, I'll play my best. In fact, I'll play even better." He smiled even wider at her crimson face, trying to suppress his laughter.

The red-faced girl just huffed. "Just get in there," she grumbled, shoving him forward.

He followed her push, walking to the bench and preparing for when he would step in to take his place on the court.

The whistle blew, signaling another point for Aoba Josai, giving them another point to put them even further in the lead.

Another whistle blew, signaling a player change.

* * *

Kageyama turned, his eyes widening with shock and hurt.

There stood Sugawara, his upperclassman. He was holding a sign that clearly said "9" on it.

There had to be a mistake. That was Kageyama's number. He was their – Karasuno's – setter. He was supposed to stay on the court, he was supposed to be the pillar that led their team to victory. He was supposed to win against Aoba Josai and against Oikawa. He couldn't be subbed out.

After a moment in which he refused to move, it became clear that Sugawara was not joking. He wasn't there for anyone else.

It was in that moment that Kageyama remembered that he wasn't Karasuno's only setter. Even if he was their starter, Sugawara was the one who'd been with Karasuno for almost three years. He'd been their trusted setter until Kageyama came in.

He supposed that it was no wonder he was being substituted.

He remembered all of his misplays in just the last few plays. He'd failed his dumps, he'd failed to toss to the proper person, he'd used a toss that was too low or too high for the spikers to get it over the net, and in his last play…

It'd gone sailing towards Tsukishima, but Kageyama had forgotten something so fundamental.

He'd forgotten that Tsukishima wasn't Hinata.

Tsukishima wasn't as fast as Hinata, and he didn't have the ability to jump as high or respond as quickly to Kageyama's crazy tosses. He wasn't able to perform the duo's freak quick, and that had cost Karasuno another point.

As much as Kageyama wanted to yell at Tsukishima, tell him to go faster, jump higher, and maybe then, he'd have been able to get that toss, he knew that it wasn't the beanpole's fault.

It was his.

He'd failed as a setter.

Knowing that he'd failed, he slowly allowed his legs to drag him towards the edge of the court, reluctantly leaving behind the place he'd fought so hard to stay on. He'd fought so hard for it that he'd nearly lost himself, lost all the hard work he'd put into his sportsmanship in the past two months.

It wasn't easy, but he knew there was a clear difference between him and Sugawara.

Sugawara was trustworthy and kind. He was a gentle person who everyone liked.

And him?

Well…

He was just Tobio Kageyama, the King of the Court.


	16. Change

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 16: Change

It was the right decision, even if it wasn't an easy one.

It definitely wasn't easy for Kageyama to accept.

"Coach, can Kageyama sit with me on the bench for a little?" Aika asked suddenly, looking towards Ukai.

The coach's eyes widened for a moment, and he looked towards the referee for permission. The referee nodded, allowing Kageyama a pass. Aika grinned and patted the spot on the right of her. Reluctantly, Kageyama sat, his entire body tense.

As soon as he did, Aika stood up, standing right in front of him, and dropped something on his head.

The towel she'd draped over his head was soaked. It was cold, but it felt nice. The sides of the towel fell around his shoulders, and he looked up at her in surprise, only to see that her smile had completely disappeared from her face. She looked… _disappointed_.

"What the hell are you even thinking?" she demanded dryly, frowning at him. "You're playing like no one else is there to back you up. I know I told you that you're the pillar, but _dammit_ Kageyama! Do you even know what that means?!"

He didn't respond, and she sighed. She ran a hand through her hair, and she looked out to the court, to where Sugawara had already managed to worm his way back into where he needed to be, eliciting smiles from his teammates, except for Tsukishima. But even the blonde beanpole looked marginally more comfortable with Sugawara smiling kindly at him.

"Sugawara senpai isn't a genius like you are. Neither is Oikawa. But, thanks to how much experience they have, they both know how to do something that you haven't quite learned yet." Kageyama chanced a look up at her, only to see that she no longer looked upset, but resigned, almost calm. "I know that you know that you're a good setter, but talent and skill aren't the only things that matter. Sometimes, you have to know to adjust to other people." She looked back at him. "It's okay to be upset. But you need to know that if you aren't on your game, it doesn't matter if the rest of them are. It's your job to make them bloom, and support them as they do."

Kageyama's eyes widened, and he looked out to the court.

Sugawara had just gotten onto the court, but something already felt different among the team. They seemed more relaxed. It showed in their posture. Every single person was less tense, their shoulders managing to relax and the pressure dropping from their faces.

Maybe it was the way that Sugawara just radiated positivity.

The first-year couldn't help but feel the same as when he'd been benched during his last game with Kitagawa Daiichi. It was the same feeling of loss and disappointment. He hated not being able to play the game he loved so much, and he hated that it was his own fault.

He'd been the one to lose his composure, and everyone else on his side of the court noticed. They had seen how much pressure he'd taken on, and they'd tried to take on the same amount, but it only threw each person off more and more as Kageyama began to misplay.

"I understand."

Aika smiled softly, looking at him. "Just watch your senpai for a little bit. He's been their starter for a while, and they all trust him. Watch what happens when your spikers trust you completely," she murmured, taking her place next to him. After a moment, she placed her hand on his arm. "And, just so you know, it's okay to cry if you're feeling upset."

* * *

Sugawara felt at home once more.

The court was where he belonged.

He put his smile on once more, knowing that it was exactly what his team needed at this point in time. He knew that not all of them had complete faith in Kageyama's tosses, and he'd been their starting setter for the past two months.

But Sugawara had been tossing to most of them for at least a year.

There were some things that never changed, no matter what kinds of roster switches happened. One of those happened to be the bond between each spiker and their setter.

Maybe the point gap was too much to save during this game, but he wasn't worried about it. After all, even Aika had told him that she had faith in his ability. He could take those words to heart, and help raise the team's morale and skill, just by being on the court.

There were still things that he could do.

"Tsukishima, they're going to spike at me, 'cause my block isn't as tall as yours. When the toss goes up, switch places with me, then jump."

"Hinata, they're going to have their center do a quick. Don't panic, just wait a moment, then jump even higher than you usually do."

The small first years, who still had a lot to learn, were eager to become even better than they already were. Tsukishima was tall and fierce, with an air of intimidation around him that caused a lot of people to be afraid of messing with him. Hinata was as energetic as anyone possibly could be, and even though he wasn't as scary as Tsukishima, he was also capable of intimidating his opponent with his energy. Both of them could go far as middle blockers.

Sugawara knew these things better than he thought he would. He knew them from being able to observe his team grow and change over the past two months. Being on the bench for so long allowed him clarity. He saw the weaknesses, and now, it was his job to be the pillar of support for his fledgling team, and for the baby birds who were really just learning how to fly.

And sometimes, a little praise went far, especially when something went well.

21-13.

The score wasn't really turning around, but just earning a few more points was more than enough to swing the game for Karasuno. It wasn't the score that mattered, but how the players on their side of the court felt during a match.

While Sugawara knew that it was his job to raise morale for the team, even if they ended up losing the set, he also wanted to prove himself. He wanted to be able to turn the score around entirely and end up winning the set for Karasuno, since that would prove he was still capable.

Maybe people pitied him when he was subbed in, since he was a third-year who'd been benched because a genius first-year came onto the team. Maybe they thought that Karasuno was bound to lose either way, so they let their third-year setter have a go on the court one last time. Maybe they thought he would never be able to stand up to the sheer skill of Kageyama.

And maybe they were right, but at the same time, they weren't.

He knew that he'd been benched because of Kageyama's entrance. He knew that Karasuno was struggling, and that this may very well have been his last game in high school. He knew that he wasn't as technically skilled as Kageyama.

But none of that mattered.

Karasuno was still his team. He knew them better than the back of his hand.

They had absolute trust in him, something that was even harder to break than their team's spirit. Whether it be one point or the entire set, Sugawara knew that a point earned was a job well done. He knew that he could rely on them, even if he wasn't as talented as Kageyama.

More and more points went in Karasuno's favor, and Sugawara felt the pride stemming in his chest. He wondered if he was allowed to feel this way, even if it was just five measly points that he'd helped earn, and not the entire set.

But then he reminded himself that, yes, he was allowed to feel that way.

This was his team, after all.

He was allowed to have pride in his team.

* * *

Oikawa was sick of this point streak that Karasuno had gotten.

They'd taken five points in a row, demoralizing some of Aoba Josai. He couldn't let that happen all because some "Mister Refreshing" stepped in for the King of the Court. It was still important that the spirit of Karasuno was shattered as he took his victory.

Only then would he feel as if he'd won completely over Tobio.

His jump serves were fierce. He'd won games with them, and he knew that if he could take this game away from their all-important-substitute, it would hurt Karasuno, who seemed much more relaxed with their Mister Refreshing as their setter.

Glaring at the other side of the net, he tossed the ball and followed it with a powerful jump, serving right down the middle.

23-15.

A jump float serve.

24-15.

It was Aoba Josai's game to win now.

* * *

Kageyama couldn't help but see the difference in how Karasuno played with him on the court and how Karasuno played with Sugawara on the court. It was such a stark difference that he almost felt himself choking.

He held tightly onto the towel that was draped around his neck, the one Aika had dropped onto him when he came off the court.

With Sugawara, the Karasuno players were all more comfortable. They all reacted far better, and for the life of him, Kageyama couldn't pinpoint what exactly everyone was doing differently. They were all doing pretty basic things, but they were just playing better for some reason. It confused the hell out of him, especially since he wanted them to play just as well when they were on the court with him.

"You're wondering what you could do differently, aren't you?" Aika asked from his side as the Karasuno players walked off the court, preparing to switch sides for the next set.

He nodded. "Yeah. I don't get it."

"You were watching Sugawara senpai, weren't you?" She looked up at him, then glanced to Sugawara, who was gladly taking a water from Shimizu. "You should talk to him. Tell him what you noticed about Aoba Josai, and pick up how he thinks. You're not going to get it immediately, but try to figure it out on your own, okay?"

With that, she sauntered over to Hinata, giving him a rough pat on the back for his missed block. Even though he looked abashed at her first words, that expression quickly turned into a smile as he beamed proudly at her.

Kageyama allowed himself to wander right over to Sugawara, his mind wondering exactly what Aika meant when she said to understand how Sugawara thought. He couldn't think of anything to really talk about with his upperclassmen.

"Sugawara senpai," he blurted. The silver-haired setter turned to him, a kind, but shocked look on his face. For a moment, Kageyama was lost for words, but he managed to get a few out with much difficulty. "Is Kindaichi… I mean, radish-head… I mean… Is 12's quick a bit slower than the others'?"

It was the only thing he'd really noticed from that entire match, at least from the side of Aoba Josai. He'd been too busy watching Sugawara and the rest of Karasuno play, easily taking point after point with Sugawara's guidance.

Almost immediately, the senior lit up, immediately going on about how Kindaichi seemed to be building up his jumps a little more, which made him slower. His tone was open and kind, although he seemed a bit unconfident in some of his observations. Kageyama simply listened, nodding along, while the entire time, trying to understand Sugawara a little bit more. He found that the other setter really was very smart and very observant, and he wondered if that's why Aika and Sugawara got along so well.

"Even though we're rivals for the setter position, we're both on the same team." Sugawara smiled up at him. "After all, the points that either of us get while we're on the court are points that Karasuno has earned. That's all that really matters in the end."

Kageyama's eyes widened as he suddenly began to realize exactly what the difference between the two was.

Sugawara was better at communicating with others and adapting to what his spikers wanted. He was better at praising them and understanding how they were doing on the court. He was more of a team player than Kageyama ever had been, even as he was adjusting to really being part of a team.

There was still a lot Kageyama had to learn.

* * *

Aika watched the sidelines, where Shoyo and Kageyama stood, watching as the first point of the set went to Tsukishima, who seemed slightly more confident in his spikes.

She watched as Ennoshita, the second-year who'd been benched when Azumane had rejoined the team, approached the two first years. He had a calm smile on his face as he addressed Kageyama, who was clearly beginning to see Sugawara's real strengths for the first time.

It was also clear that Ennoshita, who really faded into the background throughout most of the two months the team had been together, was pushing him to see it, too.

A smirk settled on her face as she flipped open her notebook, right to the page labeled "Chikara Ennoshita, wing spiker" at the very top. She grinned as she added a note to his profile, the data she'd collected from watching them practice their very hardest.

 _-potential future captain_

That was all she had to scribble down before she turned her attention back to the game at hand.

* * *

Sugawara couldn't help but flinch as Oikawa was rotated back into the serving position. He took a deep breath, looking towards Noya and Daichi. They were the two on Karasuno who were best at receiving, and they were the two who had stopped Oikawa's crazy serves to begin with.

He had to have faith in their abilities.

Looking back towards Oikawa, he watched as the serve hurdled towards Daichi. He couldn't help but call for Daichi to get it, which, of course, the proud captain did with ease. Although it looked painful to lunge so far just to return a serve, he could see how proud Daichi was to feel it hit his arms. It bounced into the air, right towards Sugawara. It was his turn to make a decision.

All three of his spikers were in place, but he needed to decide who would make the most noise if the point went through.

There was no doubt in his mind as soon as he remembered who was on the court.

 _Let's get your revenge from that first set, okay?_

Tanaka easily leapt into the air, spiking past all the blockers and earning yet another point for Karasuno as the ball fell weakly to Aoba Josai's side of the court.

They'd broken Oikawa's serving streak before it even started.

* * *

Kageyama's eyes widened as he was truly able to see where Sugawara stood as a part of Karasuno.

He'd never have been able to break through Oikawa's streak that easily, let alone end it before he could start to perform service aces.

It was just another bit of proof that Sugawara was clearly so loved and trusted by his team.

The only other thing Kageyama needed to see was the scoreboard, seeing how closely the score really was between the two. It was closer than it'd been when Kageyama had been the panicked setter on Karasuno's side.

Kageyama felt his hands curling into fists as all of the words he'd heard, all of the things he'd seen since he was subbed out ran through his head. He knew that there was something he had to fix, and he was beginning to understand just what that thing was.

He wanted to go back on the court and make it right, prove that he could stand among the rest of them.

Not as a setter who selfishly stuck to his own comfortable tosses, but one who played alongside the team.

He wanted to prove that he was able to be part of Karasuno.


	17. Rival

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 17: Rival

Sugawara could see Kageyama running towards the bench, where Aika greeted him with a soft smile and a number card. Where Ukai nodded to him with crossed arms, telling him something probably similar to what he told Sugawara. Where Takeda looked on with pride, wishing Kageyama good luck with nothing but that smile on his face. Where Shimizu watched with her calm eyes and an offer to take the towel that was still around his neck.

In that moment, Sugawara knew that there was only one play left for him before his time on the court was over, and his part in the fight against Aoba Josai was no more.

But as Asahi turned to him and said, "Send the last one to me, and I'll definitely get a point," that didn't really matter.

What mattered was that Sugawara was standing on the court for this one last play, standing with Daichi and Asahi, with Noya and Tanaka, with Hinata and Tsukishima. These people were his teammates, and he'd been fortunate enough to be able to toss for them in the war against Aoba Josai.

As Daichi swiftly received the serve, sending it back to Sugawara, he thought back on the moment that Aika had smiled up at him and told him, "I know you'll do great. So, even if you can't save this one, just know that I believe you can help us take the next."

And he felt the ball fall into his fingers as he prepared to toss.

He could see Hinata leaping, drawing blockers to him as they prepared to defend against one of his quicks, but that wasn't where the ball was headed.

 _A high toss. One that curves the way that looks perfect in the air._

Asahi, from the back row, leapt with all his power, sheer determination running down his face in the form of sweat. The veins in his arm bulged as he spiked, slamming the ball far past the blockers before anyone could even think of returning it.

Sugawara smiled as the team convened around him celebrating the point.

He continued smiling, even as he heard the whistle that signaled a player change.

Even as he saw Kageyama with the number card reading "2" in his hand.

Sure, it was painful to have to leave the court, especially when it felt like he'd just returned to stand alongside his team for the first time in forever, but he knew that his time wouldn't have lasted.

Karasuno had needed him to bring their morale back up, and they'd needed him to help push their team back into the positions they knew so well. He'd done what he was assigned to do, and he'd helped start them down the road to a comeback.

Maybe Aoba Josai had taken the first set.

But maybe Karasuno could take the second.

As he grasped the sign holding his number, he didn't falter in his smile. Kageyama was expressionless, but he could see the light of understanding in the younger setter's eyes.

That was what really mattered.

* * *

Aika smiled up at Sugawara as he returned, looking at the four on the bench expectantly.

She exchanged a pleased look with Ukai as Shimizu and Takeda both congratulated Sugawara on fighting so hard, for working himself to the bone for the team when they'd needed him most. The coach nodded back at her, as if they'd come to an understanding, even though they hadn't discussed anything about Sugawara's future at all.

"You stood on the same court as Aoba Josai and fought a battle that ended in a tie." Ukai paused, listening as Sugawara praised his teammates. "Well, just so you know, you should be able to use your center more aggressively. Just a tip for next time."

She watched as Sugawara's face turned to shock, then to a pleased and grateful smile.

"Thank you very much!" he practically screamed as he bowed deeply, taking off to the sidelines before he could burst into tears.

Ukai's own eyes widened at the volume of Sugawara's voice. "W-what?"

"His biggest fear was never being able to play again." He looked towards her as she watched Sugawara return to the bench, his posture somehow even straighter than it had been before. "You just told him otherwise. That's enough to make anyone cry."

Takeda nodded in agreement. "You said 'next time.' I think those words meant a lot to him."

* * *

The air was definitely different when Sugawara was benched and Kageyama took his spot on the court. But for some reason, it definitely wasn't an unpleasant change.

It was just… different.

There were no more cheerful smiles or warm words of praise. There were no more textbook plays that were carefully constructed, no more sharp observations and pieces of advice, and no more proud congratulations when a point was gained or kind calls of "don't mind" when a point was lost.

The difference between the two was shockingly stark, but it was to be expected. Kageyama was not the same setter as Sugawara.

He wasn't the type to give wide smiles; he only looked scarier than usual when he tried to smile. He wasn't the type to make textbook plays that were safe; his risk-taking made him unpredictable and hard to follow. He wasn't the type to tell others what he was thinking, even if it could help them; he clearly thought about his observations a little too much, to the point where he didn't believe them. He wasn't the type to praise people when they did well or reassure them when they didn't; no one was expecting him to, especially since he nearly choked on his words when he tried.

But even with all of the things that he didn't have, the things that Sugawara had provided while on the court, none of them affected Karasuno negatively.

Perhaps it was because the Kageyama playing on the court was nothing like the Kageyama that had been benched. He was no longer playing like he was the only one on the court, like he had been when he'd been taken off the court. Instead, he was playing _with_ the team, fully acknowledging the fact that there were five other people on the court with him.

He was truly playing as part of Karasuno, instead of playing on his own like he had been.

Maybe he was still awkward with the compliments he forced out of his mouth, or the way he struggled to make accommodations in his tossing for those who needed it. But that didn't matter to anyone else who was playing with him.

What mattered was that he was trying.

* * *

"Tsukishima." The tall blonde looked over to Yamada, the team's troublesome assistant coach who he'd barely even acknowledged over the course of the past two months, as she approached him, holding a water bottle. He saw her holding it out to him, but instead of taking it, he looked back out to the court, where Kageyama was serving for the third time.

He didn't notice how Yamada pouted and pushed the bottle into his hands until he squeezed it, feeling something beneath his fingertips. He looked back to her in surprise as she continued to watch him, an expectant look on her face.

Not meaning to, he felt his face settle into a glare as he saw the look in her eyes. "What," he demanded dryly, shifting his weight so he was towering over her, something he'd realized long ago was considered intimidating.

She simply shrugged, somehow not showing any fear, despite their large height difference. "Nothing. Just wanted to wish you luck out there." She paused, wincing as the ball hit Karasuno's side of the court. "And I wanted to remind you that you're out there with five other people, including Kageyama, whether you like it or not. And that those five people aren't mind readers, so they won't know what you want from them unless you tell them," she reminded him, smiling that annoying smile that she always aimed towards the others on the Karasuno team.

Tsukishima simply scoffed and turned away, staring back at where the Aoba Josai players were serving. "I don't need your advice," he grumbled. "Unless His Majesty wants to talk to me, what's the point of telling him what I want? He won't listen unless he wants to. And he's a King. He won't listen to a peasant like me." His tone was mocking, but his words almost hurt his own pride.

From where he was watching the court, he could, out of the corner of his eye, see Yamada smirking. "You two are so similar. You're both dark, brooding, and horrible with people." He glared at her for those words. "I suppose that's why you piss each other off so damn much. But if you two worked together, you'd make Karasuno even more unstoppable than we already are. Just remember to talk to people if you need something." She turned, her hair flowing as she whirled around, not once looking back at him, and returned to the bench.

He really wanted to disagree with her, but she was right in some ways.

He just hated that she was.

As he jogged onto the court, her words still rang in his head, as if they were haunting him. They bothered him a lot, even though his highly-trained facial expression showed otherwise. He had to appear unbothered, or everyone would know something was off. They'd ask him, and he would only tease them more, making everyone upset.

He entered the court, and immediately, the King's eyes were on him. Those eyes pissed Tsukishima off. Or at least, they used to.

Somehow, the King seemed different, even compared to the King that had been on the court only a set before. He wasn't the same person that was easy to tease, easy to rile up with a few words. He wasn't the same person who'd fall prey to an opponent's jibes at his character or setting skills. Instead, he seemed much more controlled.

Maybe that's what pissed him off even more.

He didn't have to think through the first play, the first serve from that annoying, orange-haired shrimp. It was a fumbled serve that one of Aoba Josai's players barely managed to return. It went right back to the captain, who returned it to the King, who tossed it to the ace, who spiked it against the blockers, who failed to stop the ball from going out.

However, there was something strange about that play.

It wasn't the play itself. That part was normal.

What was strange was the fact that instead of returning to his position, preparing for the next play, the King turned to the ace and asked, "Was that toss okay for you?" to which the ace asked, "Can you toss it a bit higher?"

Tsukishima huffed a little under his breath.

He really hated being wrong.

* * *

Kageyama hated the idea of having to accommodate for someone like Tsukishima.

That stupid beanpole had made life _so_ much harder for him ever since the day they met. Starting off with revealing his past as "King of the Court," then following up by nearly breaking Hinata's spirit and mocking Kageyama's tosses. Even after they became teammates, Tsukishima consistently brought up Kageyama's time as the setter for Kitagawa Daiichi, as if it was something he could mock.

Sure, Kageyama always yelled back, but anyone would if they were faced with Tsukishima's ridiculously annoying smirk.

He didn't remember when it was, or what moment in specific caused it, but Kageyama realized at one point that he would never, not in a million years, get along with someone like Tsukishima. They were barely even teammates, so they could forget being friends.

Yet there was something gnawing in his stomach.

It was the memory of the way Sugawara had given Tsukishima blocking advice, the way that Sugawara had changed up his style of tossing for Tsukishima, the way that, because of those things, Tsukishima didn't argue with or tease the third-year even once. He was simply respectful, something that he never was to Kageyama.

Staring at Tsukishima, Kageyama went over every combination of words in his head.

He couldn't for the life of him, figure out what he should say to talk to the beanpole who'd made it clear that they would never be able to get along. He couldn't figure out how to make Tsukishima want to like him, even in the slightest.

After a moment, Tsukishima looked back, an almost nauseous expression on his face as he noticed Kageyama behind him. "What?" he practically demanded.

Kageyama continued to struggle for words for just a moment. He remembered how Tsukishima had told him to "read his expression," but he couldn't figure out what that entailed. It wasn't like Tsukishima was the most expressive person in the world. He wasn't Hinata, who was as easy to read as a neon sign with bright, bold characters.

Before he could even figure out his words, the whistle blew, signaling the end of Aoba Josai's time out.

"Kageyama." Sugawara appeared before him, looking at him with a kind, understanding smile. "You should really try to talk with him. A conversation is key to beginning communication, especially with someone like Tsukishima."

Letting those words sink in, Kageyama nodded. "Right."

* * *

Aika sighed heavily as Tsukishima spiked a lackluster spike, making that expression that looked like he'd eaten something sour.

That lackluster spike lead to a return, which lead to a point for Aoba Josai.

"I mean, I get that he and Kageyama aren't the best of friends, but they're acting like they aren't even on the same team," she murmured, running a hand through her hair. "Forget being on the same page, I don't think they're even reading the same genre."

Ukai looked at her, worry written on his face. "Should I call a time out to talk to them?" he asked quietly.

Running another hand through her hair, combing through her bangs, Aika simply nodded. She sighed again, seeing the bored look on Tsukishima's face. He looked like he was hating just being out there alongside Kageyama.

"They need to work as a team, and I think they both have very different ways of spelling that word."

As the whistle blew, signaling that a time out had been called for Karasuno, Aika stood sharply, grabbing a half-full water bottle. She quickly soaked two towels in ice cold water, knowing that dumping water onto the two stubborn boys wouldn't really help them, it'd only piss them off even further. She glared at the towels, like they'd offended her, she balled them up tightly, knotting them together to keep them from falling apart.

Ukai was loudly trying to rouse the boys, speaking to each of them individually. She watched as he practically held Tanaka's face in a vice grip, forcing his tense expression into one of hilarity, where the spiker was making fish lips, his eyes appearing as shocked as he must've felt.

Giggling from the sight, Aika pushed through the Karasuno boys, somehow feeling less tense after that scene. She looked for the two numbers that were giving her the biggest headache she'd had in a long time, 11 and 9.

She saw the two squared off, their two companions, Shoyo and Yamaguchi, watching from the side.

"To me, you're saying 'just shut up and hit the toss, peasant,' and it pisses me off," she heard Tsukishima admit bitterly, his glare aimed directly at Kageyama.

Although the look on Kageyama's face was nothing to laugh at either as he loudly demanded, "What?!"

Aika frowned, feeling as if they weren't really going to get anywhere at this point. They hadn't in two months, when everyone else had become accustomed to each other. It'd take more than just a single conversation to get them to fully trust each other as teammates.

Sighing, she lifted the two balled up, ice cold, soaking wet towels that she held. She walked forwards, towards them, an unamused look on her face and something akin to the aura an angry Kageyama exuded forming around her. The air around her caused the boys who'd gathered to back away, even Shoyo, who'd seen her this angry before, and hadn't enjoyed being on the receiving end.

The only two who didn't seem to notice were the two who were staring each other down, looking as if they were a couple going through a particularly nasty divorce.

"What do you mean by that?" came a sudden voice.


	18. Point

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 18: Point

"What do you mean by that?"

To everyone's surprise, the next words came from Kageyama, who was watching Tsukishima intently. His expression had become calm, showing no ill will towards his teammate. Instead, he seemed genuinely curious as to why Tsukishima said the things he did.

Aika paused, her hands freezing in place, still holding the cold towels. Her eyes flickered between the two first-years. Both had blank expressions for decidedly different reasons, but they held the other's gaze, refusing to be the first one to look away. Maybe it was male pride, or maybe it was a genuine attempt to understand each other, but she supposed the reasons weren't important compared to the idea that they were simply trying to communicate.

For a minute, Tsukishima stared at Kageyama, like he was expecting it to be some sort of trick. Then, he narrowed his eyes, slowly grinding out, "Since I have a different way of doing things than you, I'd prefer your tosses to be consistent." He sounded a bit bitter, but it wasn't as venomous as Aika thought it'd be.

She paused for a moment, staring between the two. Kageyama's face was filled with confusion in his attempt to figure Tsukishima out, and Tsukishima's face was filled with an almost blankness that contrasted his usual bitter resentment he aimed towards Kageyama.

"You're not the only one on the court who's thinking about what to do during a game." He scoffed. "Everyone's been thinking about this kind of stuff… the best strategies, the opponent's defenses… It's on everyone's mind. We all think about how to win."

Somehow, those words sounded both ominous and comforting at the same time, two things that shouldn't have worked together in the same sentence. But with Tsukishima, it was like there was no other combination of words to even begin to describe his way of speaking. It wasn't as if he was ominous _or_ comforting, but he somehow managed to sound like both.

Aika, pursing her lips, lifted her arms again, pushing the towels into their faces. "You boys are so filled with testosterone that you won't even begin to give each other anything but a thousand piece puzzles?" she deadpanned, glaring up at the two, who were both looking right back at her with irritation.

As he practically snatched the towel from her, Tsukishima growled, "It's not like I have anything else to say." He tossed the towel onto the bench, still looking angrily at her.

Kageyama also took the towel she offered, but instead of tossing it onto the bench, he held onto it, wringing it with both hands. He bit his lip, his eyes darting from Tsukishima to Aika and back to Tsukishima. He pouted, like he didn't want to say something else, but he swallowing his pride, he faced Tsukishima, hating how the stupid beanpole was still taunting him with that stupid look on his face.

He ground out, although he was sure he'd killed part of his soul with two words, "Got it."

Everyone, from Sugawara to Tsukishima, looked at him with shock. "You… you sure agreed fast. You're not sick, are you?" Tsukishima managed, his face in the expression one would make if he'd just heard that it was raining fish outside.

The whistle blew and, as Kageyama walked back to the court, he replied, "That depends on how this goes."

Aika giggled, watching as the shocked birds followed him, especially Tsukishima, who's face had shrunk in surprise. She looked to where Kageyama had tossed his towel, and she grinned.

Everything would be okay.

* * *

Tsukishima didn't think that the King would actually do it.

He didn't think that the King listened to anyone.

But that toss was just right. It was the perfect height for Tsukishima, whose fingertips hit it as it began to fall back to the court. The ball practically floated right over the blockers' heads in a perfect feint, one that would sear into their memories for years to come.

That was what they didn't see coming.

And the smirk of pure satisfaction that he felt coming over his face was what _he_ didn't see coming.

 _Maybe this whole teamwork thing won't be such a disaster._

* * *

The game continued on, with Tsukishima's feints throwing in a new dynamic in how Aoba Josai could block the ball. Each time he did a feint, he simply lured them further and further into a false sense of security, then blew it away with a single, powerful spike.

Kageyama and Tsukishima, as blockers, were also working surprisingly well together, showing just how much of a force they could be if they decided to cooperate with each other. Somehow, it was unsurprising that two of the tallest players on Karasuno were so alike and so different at the same time, but now that they were working together just fine, they were managing to make life tough for their opponents, who weren't expecting such strategy from two idiots.

It was soon 24-23, with Oikawa serving and just one point needed for Karasuno to take victory.

Aika frowned, knowing just what was coming. "Oikawa isn't messing around. We haven't seen much of Iwaizumi this time around, but he's not someone to be underestimated," she murmured. "These two have been through a lot together. Don't underestimate them, coach. Call a time out if we need it. Don't let Oikawa get the flow."

Glancing at the girl, Ukai frowned. He saw the way she was tensing under the sheer amount of pressure she was placing on herself, noticing every last thing she could. She wasn't the type to let people sit and suffer, even though most of the things that she worried about weren't hers to worry about. She wasn't on the court anymore, but she still worried and thought the same way that every player on the court worried. She was always looking carefully at the court, and she was always thinking the same thing whenever something went wrong:

 _"I should have taught them how to fight against that!"_ or _"I should have worked more with them on that!"_

She wasn't the type to let things be, even if there was absolutely nothing that she could have done in order to change it. There were things that she couldn't prevent.

Especially not struggling against Aoba Josai and Toru Oikawa.

But she was worried about a bunch of crows who had learned better than that. Even if it was something that they didn't know, they'd learn if they had to, even if it was a last-minute crash course. She could only hope that they would be able to learn quicker than it would take to shut them down

Kageyama proved this almost immediately, leaping alongside Tsukishima to block Iwaiziumi's spike as Oikawa's toss made its way towards the Aoba Josai player.

With 25-23, the set went to Karasuno.

* * *

Aika heard her ringtone before she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Blinking, she turned away from the celebration of the won set, only to blanch as she saw the name on the caller ID.

 _Tetsu-nya_

"Damn," she murmured. She knew that there was only one reason he was calling her. Turning to Ukai, she held up her phone, and he nodded at her. She quickly left the gymnasium, flipping open her phone as she did so. "Hello?"

 _"Aika Yamada, did you think I wouldn't find out about what you told Kenma?!"_ Tetsu demanded angrily, his voice ringing loudly in her ears.

Her footsteps echoed down the hallway as she came to a vending machine. "I don't know what you're talking about." She tried her best to force her voice – and her leg – not to shake as she fished inside her pockets for spare change. "What did you find out?"

For a moment, it was like Tetsuro didn't know how to respond. _"Ai… you're not gonna play dumb with me, are you?"_ he asked, his voice practically a growl. _"I found the videos. Of the game where you… God, how did that happen to you?! I thought we taught you better than this!"_ He sounded hurt, like he couldn't believe that he hadn't been the first to hear about her injury.

Aika bit her lip. With shaking fingers, she pushed a coin into the vending machine, her eyes scanning over the drink choices. "Tetsu, I haven't seen you for almost ten years. Did you expect that the first thing out of my mouth was going to be 'Hey, good to see you again, I pulled my hamstring and caused permanent damage to my leg?'" she snapped dryly.

 _"No, but I thought you'd tell me at some point!"_ Pausing, Tetsu forced himself to take a deep breath. _"Look, I have an offer to make you. If you want, I could help you get back on the court again."_

Her eyes widened, her finger hovering over the button on the vending machine.

"W-what?"

* * *

Aika wasn't there for the start of the third set.

Something about how she'd looked so unsure with herself as she'd left caused Kageyama to think that something had gone horribly wrong. He may not have been wrong, all things considered. After all, she hadn't been the same since the Tokonami match the day before.

But he couldn't think about what might have been when there was something more important right in front of him.

 _Win._

He had to win, or at least keep his eyes on the prize. There was so much going on that he couldn't breathe. There were things happening that he couldn't take his eyes off of yet.

10-11, in favor of Karasuno, but only barely.

He could see why people feared Aoba Josai, feared Oikawa and Iwaizumi. They had easily blocked off every path of attack he had, and easily turned around every play into something that they could use. He just didn't understand it.

He just had to rely on the people on the sidelines to figure something out.

But when the first time out was called, Aika still hadn't returned.

* * *

Aika couldn't move from where she'd sat down over ten minutes ago. An empty can of coffee was in her hands as she stared at the wall blankly. Her eyes were practically dead as she bit her lip.

 _I have to get back to the court. Karasuno… my boys need me._

But her feet wouldn't obey her. She couldn't get them to move at all. There wasn't a single part of her body that would obey her, and there definitely wasn't a single bone in her body that wasn't hurting with what she was remembering. Her body was feeling the same pain that it'd felt all that time ago when she was in the final match, when she was straining to do what she was taught was the only thing she could do.

 _Win._

But she didn't.

She'd failed, and she'd fallen, and she'd lost everything.

But her crows were still able to pick up where she left off. They needed everything she could see, and they needed her to be there. She needed to see them fly, and she needed to feel like she wasn't alone, even if she wasn't stepping onto the court.

"Move, legs…" she spat, pushing herself up. "I need to get back…!"

* * *

With Hinata in, the tide had turned. Karasuno had made it to 15-15, tying things up with Aoba Josai. The small ball of sunshine had changed everything about how the game had gone, and it was making life difficult for the boys of Aoba Josai.

For a moment, anyways.

Kageyama could feel Oikawa's aura, his overwhelming presence, growing even further, spreading its reach towards Karasuno. He'd figured out how to bring down Hinata's broad cross, and now, he was serving his stupidly powerful jump serves, which were going into stupidly long rallies, which ended in extending the already stupidly large point gap.

He wasn't sure how much longer anyone could keep this up.

Everyone was at their wit's end, knowing that being two points behind could mean life and death.

But being three points behind?

Changing the tide would be practically impossible if the gap got any wider.

* * *

As she finally managed to reach the doors of the court, she could hear something different. It was like someone new was taking his place on the court. It was a new, refreshing aura to quell the raging fire that was the Aoba Josai versus Karasuno match.

She made her way through the doors, her jaw practically hitting the floor as she saw none other than Tadashi Yamaguchi, ball in hand, preparing himself for a serve.

"What's going on?" she murmured, retaking her place next to Ukai. "Why's Yamaguchi going in?"

Ukai grinned viciously, like he'd been holding a secret the entire time. Somehow, he looked scarier that Oikawa at that moment. "He's going to change the momentum with his new serve."

Aika sighed. "Coach, hate to say it, but you made a huge mistake." Both Takeda and Ukai looked at her. "He's never been in the game before. Hell, we've never even let him in a real practice match, let alone an _actual_ game. Maybe he's got a cool new serve up his sleeve, but his nerves are gonna get the best of him. If you wanted someone to sub in, you should've put in Ennoshita," she deadpanned.

The two older men looked like they both still wanted to believe, but somehow, it was like their hopes had just been dashed.

"We should try again with him later. After we actually let him play a game, and we don't just send him in when it's convenient for us."

* * *

 _I failed. I failed. I failed._

 _This was my one chance, and I blew it._

Yamaguchi could still feel his heart in his stomach from his jump float not going anywhere fast. He knew he wasn't ready, but he'd still agreed when Coach Ukai had sent him in. He knew he wasn't fully prepared to be on the court, but he'd still done it.

"Yamaguchi." He looked over to Aika, who offered him a reassuring smile. "You'll get 'em next time. Keep your head up, okay?"

He knew that she was trying to help. But somehow, he felt worse.

He didn't feel like there'd really be a next time for him.

* * *

"He'll be okay," Aika looked to Ukai. "I know he'll be fine, 'cause now, more than ever, Karasuno feels like they have to fight. We have to bring the victory to us, so Yamaguchi can get another chance. For him, it'll feel like the end of the world for a little. But we have to believe in him, okay?"

Ukai nodded, still feeling somewhat guilty over sending an unprepared boy onto the court by himself.

"By the way, Aika, what was that phone call all about?" asked Takeda, turning to glance at the girl.

For a brief second, he thought that he saw panic crossing her face. But she quickly calmed herself and shook her head. "Nothing. It was just my brother reminding me to hand out the lunches I made. He's always nagging me about that kind of stuff." She smiled, but it was weak, like she'd created that smile in a split second to defend herself.

But Takeda didn't question it. He didn't have any right to, especially since Aika wasn't going to tell him, even if he asked her.

"Oh, you made lunches?" he asked instead.

She nodded, a glimmer of relief in her eyes as she gestured to the giant bag behind her. "Yeah. I made enough for everyone. So, no matter what happens, they'll all know that I'm proud of them." She paused, turning back to the game. "After all, they're the only team I have left."

Her words were quiet, like they weren't meant for Takeda, since they probably weren't. Instead, they were made for herself, her own realizations.

Those boys were her team now.


	19. Endings

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 19: Endings

The rallies were long.

The plays were brutal.

Everyone was exhausted.

There were so many misplays.

It was like neither team wanted to give anything up.

The points kept racking up for both sides, one after the other.

No one wanted to let the ball fall onto the court, unprepared to give up the victory that was so close to being within their grasp.

 _"One more,"_ were the only words ringing within their minds.

No one was ready to fully give up and accept defeat. Neither side wanted to just let the other team have a single point more.

 _I'm not going to lose._

No one was ready to give up.

Sure, it may have been match point, and everyone's backs were against the wall, with each point meaning more and more, bringing them closer and closer to victory. But a single point difference didn't mean a defeat. It just made the ability to come back even harder.

 _One more point…!_

Even Aika, who always played the part of being cool and level-headed in comparison to her perky best friend, was even more tense than the Karasuno squad had ever seen her before. Her shoulders were tense as she held onto her notebook so tightly that she thought she might rip it.

Even Hinata, who was always ready and willing to take on any challenge that was thrown his way, was serious beyond belief. His eyes were focused and dark, locked onto the target in front of him, which, in this game, was the ball.

Even Kageyama, who rarely ever let his emotions show on his face, was openly allowing himself to feel the energy of the court, celebrating every point won and mourning every point lost, taking in how the rest of his team around him felt.

 _Just one more…_

* * *

It kept going into ties, into deuces.

Whoever pulled ahead by two points in a row would be the one who would take the match.

 _I have to win…_ was in the minds of every single person on the court.

 _We're going to go face Shiratorizawa, and we're going to go to the finals!_

 _We're going to take this game, and prove that we can fly again!_

 _We're going to stay on the court!_

Everyone's goals were so different, but the one thing that they shared was the same thing: winning. Victory was the end goal for both teams. At this point, the game seemed like it would never end.

It was like a damn pendulum.

But eventually, even pendulums have to stop moving.

* * *

The score was 31-31.

It was another deuce.

Everyone on both sides was absolutely exhausted. It was clear that they were feeling the pressure, that they knew that the game was about to end. Yet still, despite the fact that they were all drenched in sweat and barely able to keep up the attack, the fire in their eyes still hadn't died. Everyone was still going to fight for every last point.

There had been an entire rotation since Oikawa's serve, and now, he was serving again. He walked towards the line, ball in hand, and everyone on Karasuno's side could feel the way his aura changed, the way his fire seemed to freeze over, becoming colder and colder.

Kageyama could feel that coldness seeping through his skin, the coldness that shook him when he first saw Oikawa play, all the way back when he was a kid.

That coldness meant that he was aiming to execute his opponents.

Serve. Receive. Chance ball for Aoba Josai.

Toss. Two spikers jump for the ball; Kunimi and Kindaichi.

Spike. Receive. Chance ball for Aoba Josai again.

Toss. Feint. Point for Aoba Josai.

32-31.

Kageyama didn't understand. Kunimi had always been the least serious person on Kitagawa Daiichi. He'd always been the one to argue against all of his plays. He'd always seemed bored and uninterested, like he'd rather be anywhere else but on the court. He'd always been lazy, and Kageyama had always scolded him for not trying harder to keep the ball in play.

But for Oikawa, for Aoba Josai… Kunimi was trying so hard. He was running after the ball, chasing it to keep it from going out. He was spiking and jumping and doing attacks that had a low percentage of actually working, and it didn't make sense how, in just two months, someone could change so drastically. Kageyama wasn't even sure if he'd ever really known Kunimi.

"Hey, you look like you're freaking out! So uncool!" Hinata teased him, even as Kageyama was throwing half-hearted punches at the orange-head. "I mean, of course he's better than you! He is the Great King, right?!"

"Sorry, Kageyama." Sawamura grinned at him, as if being at match point didn't faze him. "I'll get the ball back to you on the next one. Then all you have to do is do what you think will work best."

"Kageyama! No hesitation!" Sugawara screamed at him from the sidelines. "We're all a part of your team! And your team…"

Kageyama looked over all the faces he'd come to know over the past two months, realizing that he'd just come to know them today, of all days. He'd known them as teammates, yes, but for the first time, he didn't feel like he was completely alone on the court. He didn't feel like they were playing alongside him just because they had to, but because they wanted him there. Maybe he could trust Karasuno to stand by him during this time, when he couldn't deal with something like this by himself.

For once, he felt as if Karasuno weren't just teammates.

"… our team is all strong."

He looked over to Aika, who nodded at him. "Do your best out there. I believe in you," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. She wasn't loud, like the rest of them. But she was loud enough for him to hear, and he nodded right back at her.

"I will," he vowed.

* * *

It was still Oikawa's serve.

Even though the rally was long, it was tiring and hard, everyone was still giving their best. No one wanted to let the ball touch the floor. Everyone was putting in a hundred – no, two hundred percent. It was so crucial that no one made any wrong moves.

Kageyama knew this, and he knew that there was one play that had never failed him or Karasuno before.

Knowing what he'd learned from just the past few months of playing alongside that stupidly perky sunshine ball that was his partner on the court, Shoyo Hinata, he could only have faith.

So, he tossed.

* * *

The toss came perfectly. Hinata knew that the only thing he could do was spike.

So, he spiked.

* * *

And the ball fell to the court.

* * *

It didn't put up any fight, and Karasuno could only look on in horror as their game ended with such overwhelming silence that it was practically louder than anything else could have been.

Even as the crowd cheered, celebrating Aoba Josai's victory, no one moved.

* * *

Aika was the first to move, stumbling a little as she walked over to Shoyo. He and Kageyama had collapsed into trembling messes, simply shells of the boys who'd put up so much fight only moments prior. They were staring at the court, horror written all over their now pale faces, like it was all they could see in that moment.

It probably was.

She approached her best friend and fell to her knees beside him. "Shoyo." He slowly looked up to her, and she flinched, seeing his eyes so lifeless. "Shoyo, let's go line up. I'll go with you." He didn't respond, and Aika felt her heart sink in her chest. "Shoyo…"

"I… Aika, I…" he managed, his voice shaking as his eyes stared blankly at her.

Cutting him off, she grasped his shoulder tightly. She could feel him trembling beneath his jersey, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She fought them back, knowing that she was in no position to cry. After all, she wasn't the one who had fought so hard, only to lose in such a small way.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Shoyo. I promise. You did your best."

Under her gaze, he hesitated, looking down at the floor of the court. "But my best wasn't good enough," he muttered, looking like he hated himself.

"Your best got us this far," she snapped in reply. "Your best is all we could have asked of you. Now, get up and go line up with your team. Please."

He did so, but he stumbled the entire way. Crossing the court was a journey for him, like he'd just come down from climbing a mountain. He shook the entire time, looking as if he'd fall at any moment if even the slightest breeze pushed him.

How he managed to walk on such boneless legs, she'd never know.

* * *

Kageyama managed not to cry as Karasuno left the gym.

He hadn't cried since he'd been benched back in middle school. Even though it wasn't that long ago, it seemed like it'd been several lifetimes before the one he was living. Everything was so different. It'd been different since he joined Karasuno.

He had people he could trust. He had people who would call him out on things, but would help him evolve. He had someone who could actually spike his insane tosses. He had people who didn't try to bullshit him. He had a team that he actually liked and respected, and who actually liked and respected him for once in his life.

But the one thing that hadn't changed was that he was still living in Oikawa's shadow.

That was the one thing he hadn't been able to emerge from under. He'd done a lot to differentiate himself, but there were still things he had yet to learn.

And he knew it.

He could feel his shoulders shaking as he exited the gym, Hinata at his side. He hated feeling like the world was crushing him, like he'd never be anything more than he'd been in the past. He was more than ever _now_ , but even that hadn't been enough.

"Kageyama." He stopped where he was walking, seeing Aika standing next to him. She paused moving in front of him, and reached up with both hands, one on either side of his neck. Something cold hit the back of his neck, and he realized that she'd put a towel around him. She pulled away, offering him a water bottle with a small smile. "You did a great job out there."

Shaking even more, he managed to spit out, "But we didn't win."

"So?" She shrugged, as if she'd already recovered from their loss. "Aoba Josai is a good opponent. We have another chance in September. If we take what we've learned from today and use it to improve, we can only go up from here, right?" With a wink, she turned away, darting over to where Sugawara was waiting for her, a large bag in his hands.

He wanted to understand that she was right. He knew that she definitely was, but he didn't want to accept it. He didn't like that there wasn't much of a choice but to wait for September to see if they've improved, only to roll the dice against Aoba Josai _again_. It wasn't even a guaranteed victory. It was only a big, fat "maybe" on a game that was more important to Kageyama than any game before had been. The first roll had been against them, and who was to say that the second would be any damn different? There was no way to be sure.

Feeling himself trembling, he followed his team towards the sinks. He just wanted to redo the entire game again, and see if he could change the outcome.

Maybe if they hadn't figured out that he'd use his quick with Hinata. Maybe Karasuno would have won.

As he dunked his head beneath the cold water, he could only think about the things he could have done differently during each set. There were so many times he'd done stupid things or he'd misplayed badly, all of which had cost Karasuno points. There were even some that hadn't cost points, but had been hard to recover from. He felt like kicking himself for each one.

"The meeting's gonna start without us," he heard Hinata warn him in a quivering voice.

Kageyama realized that if he felt like shit, Hinata must have felt worse. After all, Hinata had been the one to spike. He turned off the water slowly, pulling himself back up straight.

"Sorry." He turned to face his smaller companion, his expression blank as the play ran through his head again, probably for the thousandth time. "They had me read during that last one."

He walked away, only to be pulled back by two small, sweaty hands. "Why are you apologizing?!" Hinata demanded as he tossed Kageyama onto the ground. He glared down at the setter with fire-filled eyes, who looked up in shock at the decoy's outburst. "Why are you making it sound like tossing to me was some sort of mistake?!"

Kageyama had no answer for that.

He didn't want to answer for that.

Because that toss _had_ been a mistake. It'd been a big mistake on Kageyama's part, and it'd cost Karasuno the entire game, the game they'd worked so hard to keep. It'd been his Hail Mary, the one that he thought would save the game and maybe even turn the tide. But it didn't, and that was why it was a mistake. That toss had been _nothing_ but a mistake. But he didn't want to tell Hinata that, since he knew that his partner was already blaming himself for the loss. He didn't want to weigh anymore disappointment on the small middle blocker.

"The meeting's going to start without you two." The two looked up to see Takeda smiling down at them, a kind look on his face. "You both did brilliantly today. Even though we lost, wasn't that match worth playing? I think everyone learned a lot."

Neither of the two first-years answered.

"Do you think that losing is only proof of being weak?" Takeda's face was suddenly serious as he stared at the two boys who were lying on the ground, beaten down by their horrible defeat and the one toss that had lost them the game. "Losing is hard for everyone on Karasuno. Everyone is down now, but if you stay down over a challenge failed, _that_ is proof of weakness."

Kageyama felt a pang in his heart.

Takeda was right. He couldn't let one loss keep him on the ground forever. He had to get up and prove that he was stronger than this.

Pushing himself up with his arms, he stood up straight. Hinata managed to do the same right next to him, even though both of them had wanted to remain on the ground. Both of them looked at Takeda, who only smiled right at them, piercing them with his seemingly endless optimism.

"Come on, now. Let's have the meeting, then go see Aoba Josai's game. Then, we'll have lunch."

* * *

Aoba Josai won their quarterfinal match.

There was really no surprise there.

* * *

"I brought lunch for you boys!" Aika exclaimed, beaming up at the rest of the team as she forced them to stop at the front of the building. She knelt, opening the giant bag she took from Sugawara. "Shoot, I swore that I'd labelled them… Oh, I did!"

Each Karasuno player and staff member had their own personalized lunch. Everyone had a cute seaweed shape on top of the rice, which hid the curry.

Kageyama nearly wanted to cry at his. It was a neatly cut shape of a baby bird spreading its wings. The bird was cartoonish, but it was cute all the same. He looked around, seeing Azumane holding up a puppy shape, while Nishinoya had a thundercloud. Yamaguchi had a bunny, Sugawara's was a flower, Hinata's was a sun, and Tsukishima had a moon.

There was so much love and care put into these lunches that it was a wonder that Aika made them.

"You made these?" Hinata sounded skeptical.

Aika pursed her lips. "If you don't want it, I'll take it back," she pouted.

Immediately, Hinata managed to perk a bit. "No, no, I want it!"

"Good! Now, there's a nice picnic table out back. Let's eat there."

The team followed her silently, all of them grasping their bento boxes tightly, holding back their tears. As they all took their seats, the simply stared at the food. They should've felt hungry, but no one made any move to eat.

"Eating would be good for you about now," Ukai commented. "You strained yourselves today. So eat, and get stronger."

He looked to Aika, who managed the peppiest smile they'd ever seen on her. "Please tell me how it is! I tried really hard, and I hope that no one has an aversion to chicken." She laughed weakly, and for a second, Karasuno was sure that she'd cry.

But when she didn't, they began to eat.

They stuffed their faces as they silently mourned their Interhigh run, tears streaming down everyone's faces.

No one's faces, except for Ukai, Takeda, Shimizu, and Aika's, were dry. Of those four, only three were positive, smiling over at the boys as they cried.

* * *

"Shin… I'm home…" Aika called, stepping out of her shoes and dropping the empty bag in the foyer.

Emerging from the kitchen, her older brother greeted her with a small, sad smile. "Welcome home. I saw the news." He paused, seeing her face, which was now a blank slate as she pulled her Karasuno jacket off. "How are you doing?"

Aika's only response was to burst into tears, burying her face in the black fabric.


	20. Strength

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chatper 20: Strength

A ringtone broke through the sounds of a video game. Despite it just being a video game song, Kenma reached out lazily and grabbed it, glancing at the screen.

Call from: Aika

There was a beep as he picked up. "Aika?" he asked groggily, closing his handheld to focus all his attention on the phone call at hand. "It's almost eleven at night. Is everything going okay for you?"

"K-Ken…"

Her voice was different than usual. It was shaky, filled with tension and sadness. She sounded choked, like she'd just been crying. Actually, she sounded like she was still crying, but she was trying to hide it from him. He knew how she sounded when she was sad.

Sitting up straight, Kenma immediately woke himself up. He focused every bit of his energy on the girl on the other side of the line, the one who needed his attention most.

"Aika, what's wrong? Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you?" He shot question after question at her, trying to figure out exactly what was wrong.

"Ken, I… we lost."

Kenma's heart sunk into his stomach as he heard her sniffle. "You played Aoba Josai today, right?" he asked, his voice as soft as he could make it. "They're a strong team. I heard they're probably the second best in Miyagi."

She sniffled again, and Kenma felt his chest begin to hurt. "We made it so close. We took a set off them, and we were at deuce for nearly seven points," she admitted.

"That must be awful… I don't know what else to tell you," he confessed. "Do you want me to stay on the phone and listen to you? Or do you want me to talk to you until you go to sleep?"

For a minute, Aika didn't reply. There was just soft crying in the background and lots of blankets rustling. He could hear her sniff and rub at her face, knowing just how she was when she cried. He waited patiently for her to gather herself, even if it took a while.

That was the only way that Kenma knew how to comfort her, the way he knew best from years of being the one who comforted her whenever she found herself crying for whatever reason. She wasn't much of a crier, but Kenma could say with some confidence that he was one of a small handful of people who'd ever seen her truly break down.

"Can you talk to me?"

Kenma hummed, thinking of a topic.

She always asked for something like this whenever she was trying to sleep after something bad happened to her. Because she was the youngest and the only girl of their crazy group, the boys always gave her whatever she asked for. They loved her so much that they would do whatever she asked if it would make her smile again.

It was usually Kuroo or Shin who did it, though. Whenever she asked Kenma to talk her to sleep, he'd usually speak about his newest video game, and she'd be out within five minutes.

"Ken? Are you there?" he could hear her voice asking.

He nodded, quickly remembering that she couldn't see him. "I am." He paused for a moment. "Hey… do you remember that time we were talking about the dreams we had for the future? I… I think it was for some assignment you had…"

She giggled, a sound that made Kenma want to smile. "Yeah. I remember I forced you guys to do it with me. Shin didn't enjoy it too much, did he?" she joked.

"No, he didn't," Kenma agreed. "But I think he got angry at me when I wrote what I wrote. I just remember him yelling at me for no complete reason."

Once again, she laughed a little bit, her laughter interrupted by a small hiccup. "Didn't you write that you wanted to be my husband?"

"I did."

Both of them fell silent afterwards, not knowing what exactly they should say. There was some rustling of blankets again, and a squeak from Aya, a stuffed rabbit with a squeaker in its stomach. It was something Shin and Kuroo had gotten for her for her sixth birthday. She'd kept it ever since, but Kenma had been sure it'd been destroyed by now.

"You still have Aya?"

She hummed, and another squeak came over the line. She laughed afterwards, her laugher once again causing a jolt in Kenma's chest. "I would never give up Aya for anything. I love her too much," she admitted while squeezing Aya's squeaker a few more times.

Kenma couldn't help the small chuckle that came out of his lips. "Is it 'cause Kuroo got it for you?" She'd always looked up to him, even more than her own brother.

Aika didn't reply at all. She then sighed. "S-so… speaking of Kuroo… how did Tetsu find out about my… my leg?" she asked quietly.

For a minute, Kenma froze. "He found out? I… I don't know. I know that you didn't want him to know at all." He thought for a minute. "I'll ask him tomorrow. Did he… say something to you?" His voice quivered, knowing that Kuroo was the type to try to fix it himself.

"He… he's has a way to let me play volleyball again. But, Ken, I don't know if that's what I want anymore," she admitted, her tone so soft that he could barely hear her.

Kenma paused, thinking back to the time, so many years ago, when they'd all written down their dreams. It'd been so long ago, he'd forgotten how old he'd been, but he remembered that it had been after they'd gotten into volleyball. It'd been after Kuroo fell in love with the sport, pulling both Aika and Kenma with him. It'd been after Aika found her talents in and began honing them in an after school club.

Since it had been after she'd found something she loved more than she'd loved anything else before, it only made sense that her dream had been connected to the sport she loved so much.

I want to be the greatest setter in the world.

Originally, it'd only read "in Japan," but she'd changed it at the last moment. Kuroo had always told her that she had to dream big, otherwise she'd only get as far as that one, small dream and be satisfied. He wanted her to strive for the best.

So, she did.

"You love being a setter, don't you?" There was no reply from Aika. "You love playing volleyball. But… you also love Karasuno a lot, right? And you don't want to leave them?"

She sniffled again, weaker than ever. "If I just went off selfishly to pursue something that might not even work out, I don't know how I'd face them – how I'd face Shoyo. Ken, when I got injured, I pushed all my dreams off on him. I don't know what else I can do but be there for him."

Kenma sighed, knowing that she would stubbornly argue for whatever side he was against. He wasn't really inclined to tell her what to do, since she would do whatever she wanted anyways. She was always far too headstrong to even dream of listening to anyone else.

"Then you do what you think is going to be best. Even though you love Karasuno and you love volleyball, you should choose which one means more to you. And no matter what you choose, I'm sure the other won't hold it against you."

For a brief second, he swore she was about to burst into tears again. He could hear her whimpers as she tried to contain herself.

"Okay. Thanks, Ken."

It was the next day, the day after that loss to Aoba Josai.

Everyone was struggling through their own minds, trying to cope with the loss in a different way. Everyone was trying to focus on class, but no one could, with only that picture of the ball falling to the court and landing on Karasuno's side without a sound.

There was only Oikawa and Aoba Josai standing above them, like they were taunting Karasuno. After all, Aoba Josai had gotten to the semi finals, and then to the finals. They were fighting past Shiratorizawa, the best team in Miyagi.

While Karasuno's wings were clipped again, and they fell sadly into the top sixteen of the prefecture.

They weren't even given a chance to try to fly again.

Aika looked around for her two classmates and teammates, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, both of whom were probably attempting to cope with losing the day before. She'd seen how both of them were so convinced they could come back, how both of them were so invested in taking the game against Aoba Josai and making it to the next round.

Tsukishima spent most of his time staring out the window, only moving when he had to jot down notes in his neat-looking notebook. Yamaguchi seemed stable, paying close attention to everything that happened, but she could see that he wasn't exactly handling the loss well.

It was in his eyes.

They were burning with so much anger for his own plays, the ones he'd failed to make when it mattered most. They were filled to the brim with guilt for the serve he'd missed, the one that everyone was relying on him for, but had missed and had ended up giving another point to Aoba Josai.

The lunch bell rang, and while Tsukishima immediately got up, his chair sliding loudly across the floor of the classroom, Yamaguchi didn't move. He usually went with Tsukishima every day, tagging along with his taller friend like he always did. But he didn't even lift his head from where he was staring, having pulled his bag into his lap when the bell rang.

Aika pulled out her own lunch, the one Shin had made her, filled with all her favorite foods.

"You need something to cheer you up. I think I made enough for a small army, so if anyone wants some, share, okay?"

She turned her eyes to Yamaguchi, watching as he slowly unzipped his backpack. Staring back at him as a black jacket, with the words "Karasuno High School Volleyball Club" written in neat, white characters, staring right back at him.

Her heart began to hurt a little for him.

She was so sure that he'd come back from his nerves, that they'd get another chance to put him in and let him shine. She was so sure that he'd be able to recover his composure and happily take another chance to be put in the game.

Watching as his face contorted, she realized that Yamaguchi wasn't like the rest of the team.

The rest of the boys could easily be reminded of their poor plays, but would always work to improve them. They would be angry at themselves in the moment, but they'd always realize that they'd get another shot to make things right.

That didn't seem to be the case with Yamaguchi.

He was always trying to make sure that everyone else was doing well, and sometimes, he forgot that he was part of Karasuno, too. Although, that wasn't really surprising, considering that he'd never even played a practice match before being tossed into the deep end of a losing game against Aoba Josai. The team hadn't really treated Yamaguchi as one of them, now that she thought about it.

He'd always just been Tsukishima's friend, the one who says "sorry" way too much and the one who laughs at all his taller friend's bad jokes.

But he wasn't just "Tsukishima's friend." He was Karasuno's freckled pinch server, Tadashi Yamaguchi.

Aika looked down at her heavier-than-usual lunch. Her favorite foods were all warm and comforting. They were foods that everyone liked, even people who didn't like many foods. They were things like fried rice and warm pork cutlets.

She stood as well, watching as Yamaguchi put on his best smile when Tsukishima returned. Even though Tsukishima was acting like he normally did, there was something less vicious about the way he told Yamaguchi to shut up. As the two grabbed chairs at Tsukishima's desk, Aika made a quick decision.

Walking over to the two, she sat down, right next to them. She put her giant lunch in the center of the desk, and unwrapped it, ignoring their questioning stares.

"What's with the big lunch? Is it all for you?" Tsukishima asked teasingly, grinning at her.

She shook her head. "No. My brother made a lot of food today, so he said I should share it with friends." She looked between the two of them, seeing them both freezing in shock at the word "friends." Pursing her lips, she demanded, "What? You thought I was just your assistant coach? Please. We're in the same class, right? And we're on the same team. I thought that was enough to make us friends."

Both boys looked towards the lunch instead, the one she was happily eating from. There was a lot of food there, and she was offering them what she had. But to be called her friends so suddenly, when she barely let anyone else in, was jarring.

Yamaguchi was the first to reach out, using his chopsticks to grab some of the pork. He slowly ate it, Tsukishima watching with a quirked eyebrow.

"It's good," he said finally, smiling at Aika.

She seemed happy enough with that.

Hinata watched as the rest of the Karasuno team slowly filed in, one after the other, looking pleasantly surprised at the mess that he and Kageyama had made.

First was Shimizu, who berated them for the noise levels. Quickly following her were the second years, from Nishinoya to Narita, two of whom practically threw themselves at Shimizu. Following them were Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, the latter of whom bounded in happily, a big smile on his face, while the former entered coolly, as per usual.

Then Aika showed up after them, a small, knowing smile on her face. She quickly took a spot next to Shimizu, offering her notes on the previous day's game, which the manager took with a quiet thanks.

Finally, there were the third years, all dressed in their uniforms, ready for practice. That alone was enough to announce that they were staying, that they were going with the first years to the spring tournament, that they were staying on Karasuno.

Practice was the same as ever, filled with boundless energy from all sides.

But one thing was off to Hinata.

Aika was sitting on the side, taking notes again, but ever so often, he'd see her expression fall, and see her staring at them like she didn't know what to do.

He knew that there was something wrong with her, but he didn't want to talk to her in front of everyone. After all, she was never one to share her problems unless she felt as if she couldn't figure them out on her own.

Even to Hinata, who'd known her since middle school, there were still parts of her that were a mystery.

And that expression she had was no exception.

With all the excitement, all the practice they put in the day after their loss, there was also a sense of solemn understanding. That they had lost, and that they had to work harder than ever to keep up and earn their place at the Spring Tournament.

Yet to Aika, it seemed like there was sadness hanging over her, even as she watched her team grow yet again.

* * *

 _Chiyuki's Notes:_

 _After chatper 21,_ Higher _will be going on a short hiatus until writing on Season 2 is done. If you'd like to follow what I'm up to (and weigh in on what I'm going to do next), please follow me on Twitter ( chiyuki_kaneko) and on tumblr (xchiyuki)._

 _Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the final chapter of_ Higher's _first season._


	21. Departure

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 21: Departure

Aika's fingers slid over the buttons of her cell phone, the one she was hiding from her teacher as she tried desperately to pay attention in class. She failed miserably, only seeing the text from Tetsu, the one he'd sent her the day of the Aoba Josai match.

 _To: Ai-chi_  
 _From: Tetsu-nya_  
 _Think about it._

She bit her lip. There was no way she was going to agree to that, to even think about what he'd given her the chance to have. They only had a few months until the Spring Tournament Qualifiers and the rematch against Oikawa and the powerhouse school, Aoba Josai, and perhaps even a game against the top team in Miyagi, Shiratorizawa.

There was no way that she could afford to agree to what Tetsu had offered her.

There was absolutely no way that she could leave Karasuno.

* * *

Sugawara sighed as he walked down the hall.

He knew that everyone was expecting him, Daichi, and Asahi to quit the volleyball team. After all, they were third-years, and they had their futures to think about. There was a lot on the line if they decided to continue to play on Karasuno's volleyball team. They would be giving up a lot, at least a lot academically. But the chance to play volleyball once more…

… there wasn't a chance in Hell that any of them would back out of that.

All three of them had agreed that they weren't going to just abandon Karasuno there. Daichi had wanted to quit, but after both Suga and Asahi revealed that they were going to stay, no matter what, Daichi had quickly admitted how much he wanted to stay, too.

Daichi was certainly a captain, through and through. He cared more about Karasuno and their upcoming games than he did his own career and college prospects.

As for Sugawara, he already knew that he'd definitely be going to college. If he could go on a sports scholarship, that'd be great. He probably wouldn't be able to, considering he hadn't played many games in his third year. But he was smart, and he knew it.

He'd be able to fend for himself. Perhaps he'd even be able to help out his struggling juniors if they needed it. After all, they had to prepare to take over the mantle of captain, vice-captain, and ace.

As he looked out the window, just to see if there was something to be found, he found Aika. She was sitting in the courtyard, for once not with Hinata.

She seemed stressed about something.

Frowning, Sugawara quickly backtracked, walking towards the stairs. He made his way down and into the courtyard, looking for the girl with wine-red hair. He found her staring at her phone, a half-eaten rice ball in her hand, with a juice box beside her.

Her eyes seemed bloodshot from match only days before as she stared at her phone. He blinked, knowing that it had to be serious for her to be just staring at it.

"Aika?" he called.

She immediately sat up straight, eyes wide. She snapped her phone shut and shoved it into her pocket, clearly attempting to hide it from him. "S-Sugawara senpai… I didn't see you coming…" she stuttered, quickly taking a bite of her lunch.

He sighed, knowing that she was hurting again. "May I sit with you for a moment?" She nodded, and he sat next to her. "Something's bothering you."

"I… no. Nothing's bothering me." She stubbornly took another bite of her rice ball, like eating it would make whatever was hurting her disappear.

Sugawara only stared at her in return, his stare telling her that he wasn't buying any part of what she was trying to sell. "I don't believe you. When I found you, you were staring at your phone like it'd offended you. Did someone say something that was hurtful to you?" he asked softly.

For a moment, Aika hesitated. She moved to grab her phone again, slowly pulling it back out and opening it up. "It's… it's not like he said anything mean. It's just… I… here." She practically shoved the phone into his hands.

The only thing he saw was a message.

 _To: Ai-chi_  
 _From: Tetsu-nya_  
 _Think about it._

"What… what does this mean?" he asked, genuinely confused at why those three words distressed her so much. "Is it something bad?"

Aika sighed. "Tetsuro is like my big brother. We grew up together, me, him, Kenma, and my real brother, Shinji. We were always all together. Tetsu and Ken were the two who got me into volleyball. Ken's the reason I became a setter, but Tetsu's the reason we both started playing. And…" She hesitated, rubbing her braced leg, wincing as she did. "Tetsu… he's got a lot of pull. He's from a well-known family, and his dad's got a lot of connections. And he found out that I did this to myself."

"So… what does he want you to think about?"

She seemed even more distressed at this. She sighed again, even more heavily than she had before, and she hung her head, letting it rest in her hands. It was like whatever this Tetsuro had wanted her to think about was something she didn't want.

"He wants me to come to Tokyo for surgery."

Sugawara froze. "F-for your leg?"

"Yeah. I got surgery done here back when I injured it the second time around, but… Tetsu says he knows a surgeon who can fix my leg so I can walk normally, maybe even play again." She took another huge bite of her rice ball as Sugawara handed her phone back. "But there's a catch. He wants me to go to Tokyo for the surgery. He's got all the papers done and everything… but if I go, I'll be gone for a while. Maybe until the end of August if I beg him to let me come back."

"You… you won't be here for summer break…"

She shook her head, her hair falling into her face. "No. I won't." She looked him in the eye. "Suga senpai, I really want to play volleyball again. I have a chance, but if it means giving up you guys? I don't want to take it… but I want to. I want to be able to play, even if it's just for a while."

He wasn't quite sure how to respond to her.

Aika was clearly someone who did whatever she felt she needed to do, but in this case, she was stuck between two things that she genuinely loved. She cared so much for all of Karasuno that she'd give up surgery for them, but she wanted to be selfish and get surgery if it gave her the chance to play again. There was no option where everyone got what they wanted.

He knew that the entire team had grown accustomed to her presence. She was their steadfast assistant coach who always looked at the situation from all sides. She had won the hearts of all of the players, even those who were a bit pricklier than most.

If she left, Karasuno would definitely be hurting.

Some more than others.

But if she stayed, she was possibly giving up her best chance of becoming a player again. She'd be recovering for most of her remainder of the first year and perhaps even some of her second, so playing would be out of the question until she was back permanently. If she wanted to go to college, she'd most likely leave the team during the second half of her third year.

If she postponed her surgery longer than a few weeks at most, she'd never get to play in high school again, and playing in college or even professionally would be nearly out of the question.

"What should I do?" she asked, looking up at him with her teary eyes.

"You should go."

That voice didn't belong to Sugawara.

Both of them turned to see Hinata standing before them, looking teary, but determined. He looked like he was hurting from what he'd just heard, with his eyes tearing up a little, but he also looked determined, a resilient fire in his eyes as he stared directly at Aika.

"Shoyo," she murmured, staring at him in sadness and horror. She pushed herself up from the bench and made her way towards Hinata. "You heard?"

He nodded. "I heard. Aika, I…" He cut himself off, his hands curling into fists as he shook a little under the weight of his own words. "I want you to be happy. And you always said that you want to feel that rush again. The one where you feel like your toss is absolutely perfect. And I want you to feel that, too! So, if you have to leave Karasuno for the summer… then do it!"

It was clear that Hinata was struggling to push his words out. He looked as if he was on the verge of tears as he stared Aika in the face, looking directly down at her.

She looked like she was about to cry, too. "Shoyo…"

"Please. If not for yourself… then do it for me. I want this for you."

Aika bit her lip, looking down to her phone again, back to the message that she still had yet to reply to. Sugawara lifted himself up to join the two, watching over Aika's shoulder as she typed a reply to Tetsuro. Her hands were shaking as she did so, Hinata at her side.

The orange-haired boy lifted his hand, placing it over hers, and helped her push the keys, typing a single response that finalized her decision.

 _To: Tetsu-nya_  
 _From: Ai-chi_  
 _I'll come._  
 _Give me until the end of the week._

Hinata stared at Aika as she hit send, only to catch her as she broke down into tears.

"I'm sorry, Shoyo…"

* * *

From his place behind the pillar of the school, Kageyama pushed himself off and away.

He didn't want to admit that Aika leaving hurt more than he ever thought it would. After all, he had to be a lot stronger if he wanted to win. He didn't want to get left behind by anyone else, and he certainly couldn't rely on Aika anymore.

Now that he was thinking about it, he wasn't quite sure when he'd come to rely on Aika as a source of knowledge and strength.

He found that he'd started to become inspired by her, and by how passionate she was about volleyball. She was constantly trying her best to improve and help others make their own improvements. She only wanted to help people improve their skills in the best way possible. She cared so much about the rest of Karasuno, about each individual and their unique skills, that it was impossible to not be inspired by her passion for volleyball.

Kageyama had always thought he was passionate about the sport.

He'd loved it for years. It was always the thing that brought him the most happiness in this world. He'd always thought he was the only one to really care about volleyball like that. He thought he was the one who loved it most.

But now that Karasuno was a part of his life, that was different.

There were people on Karasuno who were just like him, in a way. He had people who were passionate, who loved the sport more than anything. There were people who cared so much that they'd give up everything just to play it a little bit longer, just to stay on the court for another brief second and have one more shot at winning.

Aika was no exception to that.

She'd been as passionate as anyone else on the court, taking notes and laying out strategies for the team, to help them improve. She'd been there for nearly everything, her perceptive eyes watching how her team had grown over the past two months.

Somehow, Kageyama knew he'd always admired Aika.

After all, she'd been the one to help bring Hinata into the world of volleyball, getting him just good enough to play on a team in less than a year and a half. She'd helped him train when she couldn't even help him physically play. She'd even joined him in attending Karasuno, just so she could continue to watch him grow and change, developing his skills.

She'd also joined a struggling team, helping them piece their team back together and improve even further with all their insane skills that weren't easy to deal with. She'd even been able to help Kageyama pull himself out of his own mind and back onto the court.

It was easy to admire someone like that.

* * *

"Gather round, guys! We have an announcement to make!"

Karasuno looked towards Ukai, who looked down at Aika, who was standing next to him. The team gathered around the two, confused looks on their faces. Everyone except for Sugawara, Hinata, and Kageyama.

While Sugawara and Hinata exchanged knowing, sad looks, Kageyama aimed a glare at his feet. All three knew exactly what was going to happen in the next moment.

"Um…" Aika began, somewhat uncertainly. "I'm very sorry to announce that I'll be leaving at the end of the week. I've been given the chance to fix something that's been wrong for a few years… so I took it."

She bowed lowly as she announced her departure from the Karasuno team, like she was trying to hide herself from the murmurs and stares filled with shock at her sudden announcement. Except for the three who already knew, everyone was surprised.

"Is it your leg?" asked a quiet voice. The group turned to Asahi, who was looking at her with both understanding and guilt. "I-I noticed that your leg's all bandaged up again today. You hide it well, but… I saw you putting on your brace one time."

Nodding, Aika managed a small smile as she stood. "Yeah. I mean, I'm sure it's pretty common knowledge at this point that I messed up my leg back when I was a stupid middle school second-year. But I have the chance to fix it. Maybe I'll be able to play again. You never know."

"I see," Asahi murmured, looking down.

 _I get why she said wanted me to play again… even though I'd lost my spirit. Because she can't, and she knew I could._

After a moment of silence, Yamaguchi suddenly asked, "Would that mean that you won't come back to us… even if you come back?" His voice quivered, having only just become really friends with the girl. He didn't want to lose her as soon as she'd become friends with him.

Silence fell as the boys, even the ones who already knew about her surgery, turned to Aika, watching her expectantly. She hesitated for a moment, looking down at her feet, which were shifting with uncertainty as she thought. No one was prepared for if she replied negatively. She was a central part of their team now, whether she knew it or not.

Finally, she looked up, a wide smile on her face, one that shocked everyone with how genuine and open it was, especially in comparison to the smiles she showed, but still tried to hide.

"Yeah. I'll come back," she promised.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _I'm so sorry... I completely forgot I never put this one up as I began writing on season 2._ _(シ_ _)シ  
I'll be better about that as season 2 begins, as I'm more than halfway through the season._

 _Also, my friends who read this told me I was being way too formal? I'm so sorry about that, too.  
I just wanted to come off as professional, but I guess I scared people?_

 _Ahhhhh writing here is harder than it used to be when I was younger.  
Anyways, I'm now officially on hiatus until I get through the second season!  
It'll be much longer, considering all that happens. I'm going to be doing a lot, and I'm super excited.  
Until then, thank you!_

 _-Chiyuki_


	22. Distance

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 22: Distance

"Do you have everything that you need?" Shin asked, glancing at the bags that were crammed into the back of the Kozume's minivan. He prodded at the bags, seeing how tightly packed they were, but still wondering if his sister was missing anything. Knowing her, something was still sitting in her room, waiting for him to find it after she'd already left.

Her room would be empty for the next few months as she went to Tokyo, as she recovered from her surgery. It would only be until August, as Tetsuro had promised that she'd be back by the end of summer break, but it was still a long time for a big brother to be without his little sister to dote on. She was always so strong and independent, but seeing her rush off on her own to fix the one thing that had been plaguing her for years was both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

"Yes, I'm sure I have everything I need." Said little sister rolled her eyes, shifting her backpack on her shoulders. "I made sure to grab the papers that transfer me to Nekoma for the next two months. And I'll be back after summer break, so don't start moping now."

He could see the teasing grin on Aika's face as she looked up at him. "You know I'll visit as often as I can, right? I'll come every weekend if I have to," he declared.

She grimaced, looking as if she'd smelled something bad. "I'm good, thanks. How about once every two weeks or something?" She was half serious, he could tell, but that wouldn't stop him from going to see her.

"Nah." He reached down, ruffling her hair with a toothy grin. "I'm going to miss you too much, Ai. After all, you're still my baby girl, even if you are growing up now." His smile became somewhat sad.

After their parents died, Shin had been everything to Aika. Even though he was only two years older, she'd clung to him. At the time, she'd only been eleven. She was still a kid, and she hadn't really been able to handle growing up without parents. They hadn't seen her walk at her elementary school graduation, hadn't watched her become a great setter in junior high, hadn't been there to comfort her as she recovered from the emergency surgery to rescue her leg, hadn't seen the smile on her face as she came home the days that she first joined the Karasuno team.

Shin had been there for every part of her life since the end of elementary school. Even though he'd only been thirteen, only a little bit older than her, he'd had to grow up faster.

At the funeral, Shin had decided he would be the one to take care of Aika. If she could grow up happy, he'd give anything. He nearly dropped out of school after he turned fifteen, wanting to work instead and earn money to see Aika off to college. The only reason he hadn't was upon his aunt's insistence.

Their parents hadn't saved up for years just so their older child could drop out.

But he'd shifted around his schedule anyways, just so he could make Aika breakfast and get home before she did, so dinner would be ready when she was done with club.

After his second year of middle school, he dropped out of his biology club so he could leave school earlier to make dinner for his sister, then get to work at the Karasuno diner. Aika had been worried, since that meant he could no longer walk with her after she was done with club. He'd only reassured her that he wanted to be there for her instead.

Even if she sometimes picked on him for his overprotectiveness, he knew that she still loved him. They were as close as two siblings could be.

The house was going to feel very empty without her.

"Shin?" He noticed his sister peeking up at him, looking at him with wide eyes. She looked worried for him. "Shin? Are you okay?"

He nodded, letting his hand fall from where it was sitting on the top of her head. "Yeah. I'm fine. I just know I'm going to miss you a lot." He could feel his eyes watering, but he tried to push past it, not wanting to make her sad, too.

And then, there were two arms wrapped around his waist as his younger sister, so small compared to him, buried her face into his chest. He could feel her trembling as he hugged her back, pulling her close.

"I'll miss you, too, stupid."

Shin choked back a sob, and pushed her away quickly, feeling as if he'd keep her with him if she stayed wrapped around him any longer. "Promise you'll be safe?" he asked, looking her straight in the eye. "I'll come running the minute I hear something went wrong."

She laughed a little. "I know you will. But… I'll be fine. I'll have Ken and Tetsu. They'll keep an eye on me, too."

"They'd better." Shin looked at her one more time, memorizing the way her eyes sparkled. "You'd better get going. It's going to be a long car ride, and if I make you wait any longer, you guys won't get there until dark."

Aika nodded. "Okay. I'll call you when I get there." She smiled at him one last time as she scurried towards the car, bowing in apology to Kenma's father, who had taken the day off to pick her up. Looking back at him, she called, "Bye, Shin!"

He waved, not wanting to risk words as she got in the car, not looking back, even as the car started up and drove away. But Shin didn't move from his spot. Not until that minivan was nothing more than a dot as it moved further and further away.

 _God, I'm going to miss her._

* * *

Practice was a little quieter without Aika around.

The silences, which were currently being filled by the sound of the ball bouncing off palms and the court, were no longer home to the scratching of Aika's pen against her notebook. She wasn't there to offer any advice to the boys as they tried to improve.

She wasn't there for Hinata to ask her if he was doing well, and she wasn't there to reprimand the boys who were goofing off instead of practicing. She wasn't there to help Ukai out, she wasn't there to keep Shimizu company, and she wasn't there for Takeda to fuss over her leg.

Without Aika there, it was easy to see how important she'd been to the team before she'd left.

It was obvious to Kageyama, too. He missed the way that she'd always answer any question he had, even if his questions weren't exactly phrased like questions. Sometimes, she answered questions that he didn't even vocalize. She just knew that there was something he had to ask, and she told him what he wanted to hear.

He missed the way she was always looking out for everyone on the team. She pushed her way into other people's problems, even if she didn't belong there. She was constantly trying to help everyone on Karasuno to become even better than they already were.

Now that she was gone, it was obvious how much they relied on her.

"Kageyama!" Said setter turned to see Sugawara looking over at him, a knowing look on his face as he fought back his smile. "You're staring at where Aika used to stand during practice. You miss her, don't you?" he asked softly.

He felt his face flushing a little. "O-of course not. We should finish clearing out the gym," he snapped, turning away, back towards the net that he'd been in the middle of taking down.

"It's okay, you know." Kageyama froze. "Feeling something for someone else is a normal thing. If you like her, you shouldn't fight it."

He turned to look at Sugawara, who was still watching his junior. The older setter had a look of clear understanding on his face as he nodded, his own eyes sparkling with something akin to reluctance or sadness. He didn't move, even as Kageyama looked at him with confusion.

"I… I don't understand," Kageyama murmured.

Sugawara chuckled a little, sheepishly smiling. He softly replied, "Call it intuition. Most guys can figure out when they have a rival. And from you, I get that feeling. Maybe you don't know it yet, but when it really hits you, you'll understand." He offered Kageyama that same reluctant, sad smile before turning away, not giving another look back.

 _A rival? For what?_

Kageyama really didn't understand why Sugawara was calling him a rival, why he was saying he got some sort of feeling from him, or why he was saying that Kageyama had some sort of feelings for their assistant coach.

All he knew was that hearing that Sugawara thought of him as a rival for something other than the starting position as the setter made his blood boil.

He wasn't quite sure what he was fighting with his senior over, but he was sure it meant a lot to Sugawara.

* * *

Daichi was waiting as Suga walked out of the gym.

"Suga… I didn't know," were the first words out of the captain's mouth. "I'm supposed to be the captain, but I can't tell my own team's feelings? Not yours, and not Kageyama's…"

Suga simply smiled sadly back at his friend. He shoved his hands in his pocket, turning his gaze towards the concrete of the school's sidewalk. "I tried to hide it, Daichi. It's not your fault you couldn't tell. Besides, I don't think Kageyama even realizes his own feelings." His tone was joking, but the look in his eyes was tortured.

Hesitating, Daichi looked to Suga.

The two of them had been friends for three years, ever since the first day they met. Suga had seen Daichi struggle with his own feelings for a girl back in first year, but then watched as he devoted himself to the Karasuno team instead. And Daichi had watched as Suga placed everyone else's feelings before his own, only saying what he felt if he was asked or he felt as if it would help someone else.

In speaking to Kageyama, in confessing that he'd fallen for Aika, Suga was doing the latter.

"You know, being selfish isn't a bad thing. Even if Kageyama likes her, what makes you think it'd be better for her to be with him? What if she was meant to be with you, and you're just giving up like that?" he challenged Suga, wanting to hear how his friend really felt.

Suga simply smiled again, this time a less forced smile. "I'm happy if she's happy. If I can be the one who makes her happy, then that's great. But… I was planning to go to college in Tokyo, or maybe study abroad. I know, it's a big dream now, but if I have the opportunity, I'd like to take it. And I don't want her to have to wait for me to come home," he admitted wistfully.

Daichi frowned at his friend's selfless attitude, even when it came to something he really wanted. "She's the type of girl who would wait for you if she liked you enough." His argument was quiet, but Suga heard it, even though he looked like he was somewhere far away.

For a moment, Suga didn't reply. He only sighed, looking up at the sky that was quickly turning dark. Daichi followed his friend's gaze, trying to see what Suga was seeing. He stayed staring, with fixed eyes, even as Suga spoke.

"I like Aika. I really do. And it's because I like her that I want to put her happiness first. Even if her happiness isn't with me."

* * *

Aika began school at Nekoma the following day.

She was in one of the college prep classes, just like she had been during her time in Karasuno. She even had one of the members of the volleyball club, the first-year libero, Yuki Shibayama, with her. He even sat next to her as her seatmate.

He was a sweet kid, a little timid and constantly feeling the need to apologize, but he stayed next to her the entire day as she tried to adjust to the Tokyo school. It wasn't so different to her, given that it was still a school, but it was a little lonelier.

"It's only been a day since you came here," Kenma commented softly as he sat next to her on the school's stairs. "You made it through day one, but I can tell that you miss your team." He watched as she leaned against the wall of the stairs, sighing deeply as she did.

Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, the end of which she played with in her hands as she carefully laid out her reply. "Of course I miss them. I was going to help them get even better so we could all go to the Spring Tournament Qualifiers together… we were going to train over summer break to prepare. But I can't be there now." She sighed again, dropping her long hair to settle over her shoulders. "There's still so much I wanted to work with them on. I left some notes for them, but I… I wanted to be there see it happen. You know?" She looked to Kenma with pain in her eyes.

He could see how much it was killing her inside to be away from the team she'd come to love so much. Aika had never really been good at goodbyes. Even if she had a chance to go back to them, she still felt as if she'd abandoned them when they needed her most.

"I understand," he murmured.

Slowly, he looked to her, seeing her staring blankly at the opposite wall again. Her eyes were far away, like she was at Nekoma physically, but her spirit was back in Miyagi with Karasuno.

If she could have gotten her surgery there, she definitely would have. Unfortunately, the hospital that Kuroo had recommended for her, had booked her an appointment at, was the most modern one with the most high tech equipment. She could only get her surgery there, in Tokyo.

But Karasuno wasn't trapped in Miyagi for their training.

With the right opportunity, Karasuno would be able to come to Tokyo for training, and Aika would be able to help them. They could be together, at least for summer break.

Kenma subtly pulled out his phone, flipping it open and searching for Kuroo's contact. He opened a new message with his older friend and captain, and looked to Aika, who was rubbing the sleeves of her new uniform blazer, as if the fabric made her uncomfortable.

Making a decision, he typed a message to Kuroo.

He never asked for anything of Kuroo. It'd always been Kuroo who'd been insisting that Kenma join him for some new activity. The only one that had stuck was volleyball. All Kenma had ever asked was for alone time when he needed it.

But this was for Aika.

Kuroo was sure to agree.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _Happy 2018! I hope your year has started off well!_

 _Hello! It's Chiyuki again. I've returned with season two of Higher, based on season two of Haikyu!  
I'm really excited for everything happening in this season. Much of it is already written, in fact.  
I will resume updating every Monday from here on out. I hope you guys are okay with once a week._

 _I am attempting to work on another story, as well. But I'm wondering what fandom you would read for?  
I'll try to tease it here, but if you look on my profile, you can make some guesses, haha.  
I'm very excited though. Especially because it's a bit out of my comfort zone of fandoms I write for._

 _Thank you for enjoying!_

 _-Chiyuki_


	23. Treatment

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 23: Treatment

"Aika."

It was the end of volleyball practice a week after Aika's first day, and she was preparing to leave with Kuroo, who was going to take her to the hospital to get her last checkup before her surgery happened the following week.

She looked up to the person who'd called her, only seeing Kenma standing alongside Tetsuro, both of them looking as if they were waiting for her. Tetsuro grinned when she hurried over to them, her new notebook, the one she'd started just for Nekoma, in her hands.

"What's up?" she asked. "Is Kenma coming with us to the hospital?"

As Kenma nodded, he also looked up to Tetsuro. The older boy nodded towards the setter, who refocused his gaze on Aika. "I am. And afterwards, we're getting dinner. We have to tell you something," he replied softly, his cat-like eyes locked on hers.

Aika blinked, but nodded in agreement, quickly moving towards the gym's exit alongside her two friends, both of them exchanging giddy looks behind her.

* * *

The checkup went well, at least by Aika's standards.

She learned a lot about how the surgery was going to be done. By the time it was over, her torn hamstring, the one that had been put back in place during her first surgery, would be moved once again, then held in place with metal anchors in order to prevent it from snapping back, like it had after the first time. She'd have to be put under for the surgery, considering the surgeons would be cutting open her leg, and she'd have to be on crutches or in a wheelchair for over two months, while also undergoing physical therapy to ensure she was able to walk again.

That physical therapy would take upwards of two months, with a maximum of nine or ten if she struggled to walk, run, or perform any daily activity. Considering she wanted to return to volleyball, it'd probably take longer than usual, in the higher numbers. However, the surgeon she was seeing, the one Tetsuro had connections with, knew of a good physical therapist in Miyagi that she could go to, so she could return to Miyagi in three months, after the hospital was sure the surgery had gone well.

Three months meant the end of August, considering it was going to be June, but it was better than nine months, which only made it harder for her to go back to Miyagi before the actual Spring Tournament, when Karasuno was for sure going to make it.

Three months was easy enough for her to do, allowing her to go back to her team.

Aika left the hospital feeling lighter than she had in a few weeks, ever since she made the decision to accept the surgery and leave Miyagi. She honestly felt much better about having chosen to follow the path offered to her, and feeling as if she'd abandoned her team.

With this checkup, she felt less as if she'd abandoned them, and more as if she had only left them temporarily. She would be going back to them.

Her good mood continued to dinner, where Kenma and Tetsuro had taken her to their favorite okonomiyaki place. She was typing a message to Shin, letting him know everything that the surgeon had told her that day. Next to her, Kenma was playing through some new video game he'd gotten that weekend, his eyes completely focused on his handheld console. Tetsuro was across from them, flipping the trio's food, continuously glancing towards the door, as if he was waiting for someone.

Aika glanced over to the grill in the middle of the table, where Tetsuro was cooking about six okonomiyaki at once, adding to the already heaping pile of food on the plate on the center of the table.

The grill was beginning to smoke, with Tetsuro not paying attention. His gaze was focused on two people who'd just entered the restaurant. One of them had spiky, silver hair that stuck up in two horn-like structures at the top of his head, while the other had soft-looking, fluffy black hair. Both wore unfamiliar volleyball uniforms, their jackets and sweatpants both white with yellow and black accents.

Kicking him in the shin, she watched as his wide-eyed gaze turned to her. "Tetsu, I think that you're burning it," she reminded him.

"Ah!"

Tetsuro, panicking in the way he did whenever something didn't exactly go the way he expected, immediately scooped up the okonomiyaki, unceremoniously dumping it onto the plate. Aika just stared at the giant pile of food that was still piping hot, but hadn't been touched.

"Remind me again why we haven't eaten, but we're cooking so damn much?" She looked up at Tetsuro again, who was now, once again, watching the two as they approached.

His grin grew wider as the two new people loomed over their table. "This is why," he replied, gesturing to the two. "Aika, I'd like you to meet the captain and vice-captain of the Fukurodani Academy volleyball team. They're hosting our summer training camp this year. Say hello to Kotaro Bokuto and Keiji Akaashi." He turned to Bokuto, the one with the spiked hair. "So? Did you bring the stuff I asked for?" He grinned his familiar grin that came when he wanted something.

Bokuto grinned widely, his grin showing already that he was loud and childish, similar to how Kuroo presented himself around his friends. "Hey, hey, hey! Of course I did! I do owe you one, but man, do you know how hard it is to pull strings for the training camp?!" he loudly proclaimed. His voice echoed throughout the entire restaurant, causing some people to stare at him. In response to his loudness, Kenma buried his face deeper into his game.

Behind him, Akaashi shook his head in disbelief. "You're still being ridiculously loud in a public area. Would you please keep your voice down?" His tone was nearly contrast to Bokuto.

Ignoring his vice-captain, Bokuto slid into the seat next to Tetsuro, with Akaashi resigning himself to the seat next to Aika, not wanting to sit next to his boisterous captain. The silver-haired owl fished through his volleyball bag, which was an utter disaster of clothes, socks, and even a change of underwear.

"There it is!" He proudly held up a small stack of papers, grinning triumphantly. "Here you go, Kuroo!"

Tetsuro gladly took the papers, his eyes scanning them over. He looked pleased as he finished reading them, his scheming grin on his face once more. His eyes settled on Aika as Bokuto, now seeing the huge stack of food on the table, began to eat, practically inhaling one okonomiyaki after another. Beside her, she could hear Akaashi berating him for not having any table manners.

Waving the papers in front of her face, Tetsuro winked at her. "You're lucky Bo owed me a favor, and you're equally lucky that I love you so much. I did this for you, Ai, and don't forget it!" he teased.

Aika, now curious, snatched the papers from him. She immediately began to read them over, and as she did, she felt herself tearing up. "You… you did this for me?" she practically breathed, looking at her friend with watery eyes.

He reached out and patted her on the head. "Of course I did. I'd do anything to make you smile, and you know that, Ai. If these guys make you happy, and if knowing that you'll see them in a little over a month makes you feel any better, I'd do whatever it takes to make it happen."

Gone was Tetsuro's grin that made him the scheming captain of Nekoma. Instead, there was simply a gentle smile that made her want to hug him even more. She beamed at him, feeling her tears start to roll down her cheeks as she did.

"Thank you!"

* * *

Karasuno was starting their new practice routines, the last things that Aika gave them before she left for Tokyo.

The one they were implementing the most was the one that Aika had pushed for the hardest. She'd wanted to give everyone a chance to play an actual game, and not just have practices for skills some of the team may never get the chance to use. She'd wanted to create a six-on-six game, since there were twelve players on the team, and mix and match combinations to force people to have to work on things that they may not have had to try otherwise.

Ukai had been thinking about using it for a while, but after seeing how badly the lack of competitive practice affected Yamaguchi during his substitution as pinch server, he'd decided to start using it immediately after Aika presented him with her training regimens.

Everyone had been practicing much harder, with each person noticing their mistakes more often. Without Aika there, they couldn't rely on her to tell them what she saw when they were doing poorly. They'd all resolved, although not vocally, to try to find and fix their problems themselves.

Mostly, it was working.

But Kageyama knew that just playing against people they knew all too well wasn't really the best practice for them. They could only grow so much playing against the same people every day. Sure, they were having practice matches, but it was mostly against schools who'd been weaker than them during the Interhigh.

The only practice match that had really challenged the fired-up Karasuno squad was the match against Date Tech, where the Iron Wall was attempting to find a new third piece, since their captain and pillar, Moniwa, had retired.

Yet it still felt as if Karasuno was growing and changing, but was stuck at the same time.

They were able to practice new things that they could take to the Spring Tournament Qualifiers, things that they'd learned over the course of the Interhigh. But against each other, there was only so much that they could do. Each person knew the others too well, and were learning how to counter each other, but not so much learning how to get better against other types of players.

"Guys! Big news!"

That day, it was just after practice, in which they'd played a long, hard few practice games against each other. Everyone was taking a break, reflecting on what they'd learned from that last game. They were all thinking of how to improve even further.

It was during that time that Takeda literally fell right through the gym's doors, landing face-first on the hardwood floor.

The Karasuno team gathered around the heap that was supposed to be their faculty supervisor, curiously peering down at the ever-clumsy man. He quickly sat back up, ignoring the nosebleed he'd garnered from his miraculous fall.

Instead, his eyes sparkled as he announced, "We should go!"

Even Ukai was confused. "Where?"

"To Tokyo!" Takeda held up the paper in his hands, neatly, yet hastily, written characters on the paper.

This caused a jolt of surprise to go through the entire team, as they began to remember just who was in Tokyo.

"You mean… to where Aika is?" asked Hinata, his voice growing as his eyes began to shine with excitement. "She's with Nekoma, right?! The invitation's from them?! Is it for a practice match?!"

Takeda nodded. "Yes! But this time, it's not just Nekoma, but a whole bunch of schools." Upon the confusion from multiple members of the team, he explained, "There's this group called the Fukurodani Academy Group, made of four schools: Fukurodani, Nekoma, Shinzen, and Ubugawa. Each year, they have a training camp over the summer, and, thanks to Nekoma, Karasuno is allowed to participate this year."

 _Aika…_

It was definitely because of her.

Thanks to her, Karasuno would be going to Tokyo, and would become even better as a team.

"That's not all!" Takeda added, pulling a separate piece of paper from his pocket. "Apparently, the captain of Nekoma has a message for our team. It says, 'Don't worry about Ai. She's doing fine, but she misses you all. Work hard, 'cause she's got a lot of plans for your team when you come. Don't let her down.' He also said that you guys should call her, since she's going to be in the hospital preparing for her surgery for the next few days."

Kageyama's eyes widened.

He hadn't realized that she was already going to go into the operating room, and so quickly. He hadn't even been able to go see her beforehand, or even ask Hinata is he was going to visit over the weekend during her recovery. He had been meaning to ask about her surgery date, but now he knew it would most likely be within a week.

Ukai grinned, knowing the look on the boys' faces. "Considering that the Fukurodani Academy Group has been together for years, and they suddenly decided to add us, we should really thank them. Let's all say thanks to Takeda sensei here, and remember to thank our assistant coach, too. We really owe it to them," he commented with a wry smile.

Almost immediately, all the boys dropped into bows, lowering their head in thanks towards Takeda, who only smiled gently at the team he'd come to care about so deeply.

"We may not be as big as we used to be," he began, his voice shaking with emotion, "but we're a lot different than we were in the past. This is our chance to prove it, so let's not pass this up!" His voice became a passionate shout by the end, rousing the boys in front of him.

As the boys cheered, Hinata moved off towards his bag.

It wasn't like he meant to be rude, it was just that he had someone that he wanted to talk to.

Pulling out his phone, he flipped it open. The last message he'd gotten was that morning, from a name of a person that he was missing terribly, even more so now that he'd heard about her surgery. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly typed a message to her as he plopped himself onto the floor.

 _To: Princess Aika_  
 _From: Shoyo the Giant_  
 _Your surgery is this weekend?_  
 _Do you want me there?_

He paused as soon as he sent it, knowing she'd tell him that he didn't have to come, that he wasn't supposed to skip practice for her. She wouldn't let him come, but if he made up his mind, she wouldn't try to change it. She always claimed that it wasn't her place to tell him what to do with his time. She was his friend, not his mother.

Quickly making up his mind, he typed another message.

 _To: Princess Aika_  
 _From: Shoyo the Giant_  
 _Never mind, I'm coming anyways._  
 _Give me the time and date?_  
 _I'll buy the tickets tonight._

After a moment, he sent another.

 _To: Princess Aika_  
 _From: Shoyo the Giant_  
 _I miss you a lot._  
 _Even if it's just for a day,_  
 _I'd like to see you._

He closed his phone, stood, and returned to his place among his teammates, who were still celebrating in excitement over their invitation to the Tokyo Summer Camp. Everyone was excited to go, knowing how good it would be for the team as a whole and for them as individual players.

As for Hinata, he was excited to go to camp, yes, but he also wanted to see his best friend again. Even though it'd only been about two weeks, it was still two weeks too long.

His phone vibrated in his hand, and he subtly flipped it open, not wanting to draw attention.

 _To: Shoyo the Giant_  
 _From: Princess Aika_  
 _I miss you, too._  
 _My surgery is Sunday,_  
 _I don't know the time._  
 _I'd love to see you again._

Hinata's body practically vibrated with excitement, holding onto his phone so tightly that he was afraid it might break.

 _I'm going to see Aika…!_


	24. Shift

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 24: Shift

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Kenma peered at Aika curiously, seeing her hands shaking as she held onto the hem of her skirt. She clearly wasn't sure that she was ready, but the look in her eyes told him that she wasn't about to back down. She'd made her decision already.

Nodding, she held onto her skirt even tighter, the fabric unable to stop her nails from digging into her palms. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to look.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just do it."

Frowning, Kenma squeezed the scissors he held in his hand. There was a loud snip, and most of Aika's long, thick hair fell to the floor of Kenma's bathroom. Her hair fell out of the band that had been keeping it in its ponytail, gently falling just underneath her shoulders rather than being almost as long as she was tall. Kenma frowned, seeing how her hair was almost as long as his.

He held up the scissors again. "Okay, it's off. Let me just finish trimming it…" he murmured, snipping at the ends that were far too straight and neat for someone like Aika. He cut off part of her hair at her shoulders, allowing her hair to be longer in the back than in the front.

"Is it done yet?" she asked, her voice quivering.

Kenma hummed in response, and she didn't push him. After a few moments, he simply asked, "When was the last time you cut your hair?" She was silent, clearly thinking about her answer. As she thought, Kenma finished cutting her hair, making sure that one side wasn't longer than the other. "Okay, you can look."

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, only to widen almost comically upon seeing how short her hair was. "I… I look so different." She reached up, her fingers playing with the ends of her now short hair. A smile washed over her face as she looked up at Kenma. "I think the last time I cut my hair so dramatically was back when we were kids. Remember?" she asked.

"Yeah." Kenma nodded, a small smile pulling at his lips. "Your hair was always so short that everyone thought you were a boy. They thought I was the girl of the group. You were even taller than me, so it made it even harder for people to believe that they'd mixed up our genders."

Aika giggled as she looked back in the mirror. "I like it," she admitted.

He couldn't help but agree with her. He liked the way she looked, too. It was so different from only a few minutes prior, when her hair was falling probably to her knees when she left it down, but it wasn't a bad kind of different. He thought it was rather cute, actually.

She looked like she had when she was a kid, back when the two of them were the best friends anyone would ever find.

Standing, Aika smiled up at him. "Thanks, Ken. I really wanted one last change before I went to get my surgery. It's important, 'cause after this, I won't be the same person I am now, just like how I'm different than when I was a kid. Even from when I hurt my leg." At the mention of her injury, she once again let her hand drift to her injury, to the brace on her right leg.

Kenma somehow understood exactly why she had made such a dramatic decision. It wasn't because she felt long hair didn't suit her anymore, or because she thought it'd be too much trouble to take care of. It was simply for the fact that she wanted to change.

It was important to her.

Moving forward, he wrapped his arms around her.

He wasn't quite sure what'd come over him. He was mostly averse to physical contact with other people, but this was Aika. She was the only person who he'd ever really been comfortable with being touched by, besides his parents.

When they were younger, she would always link arms with him, ignoring his quiet protests. She'd hug him protectively whenever someone said something mean about him, yelling back at them while her arms were wrapped around him. Sometimes, she'd fall asleep on his shoulder while he was playing a game or watching a movie, and he wouldn't know what else to do but stay there. Other times, it was the other way around, especially during long car or train rides, and he'd wake up to find her smiling down at him.

The last time he'd really gotten to hug her was before she'd moved away. She'd been teary-eyed as she said goodbye, not wanting to fall apart as she got in her aunt's car to move to her house in Miyagi. Kenma, who'd also been tearing up, hadn't been able to speak as she opened the backdoor of the car.

Aika had paused for a moment halfway into the car, then immediately turned around and rushed back to Kenma. She'd practically leapt into his arms, hugging him tightly as she finally let herself cry into his shoulder. At first, his response had been to freeze, but he forced himself to recover, returning the tight hug she was giving him.

"See you later, Ken," she'd whispered into his ear as she'd let go.

He'd never forgotten that moment.

It'd been the moment he'd regretted since that time. He'd always regretted not saying something back to her, not saying that he would definitely see her later. If he could go back in time, he always thought that he would do something differently in that moment.

Leaning forwards, he let his head fall onto her shoulder, feeling her hair brushing against his skin. "Welcome back, Aika. I missed having you around," he murmured in her ear, the same way she'd bade him farewell so many years back.

Aika smiled softly at that, reaching up and running her fingers through his soft, dyed hair.

"I'm back, Kenma."

* * *

Hinata showed up to practice with an extra bag the following Saturday.

"Hinata, why do you have so much stuff?" asked Sawamura, seeing Hinata dragging his two bags into the club room with him. "Is there somewhere you're going right after this?"

Hinata beamed widely. "Yes!" he announced. "I'm going to Tokyo this weekend! Aika has her surgery tomorrow morning, and I promised her that I'd be there for her. So, I'm sorry for not telling you in advance, but I won't be here for practice tomorrow!"

He bowed lowly, only to hear Sawamura chuckling above him. He looked up to see the captain looking at him with amusement in his eyes. "No need to worry about anything concerning your trip to Tokyo, Hinata. Just come back and tell us how Yamada's surgery went, okay?" He offered the young middle blocker a soft smile, one that reassured him that everything would be okay.

"I will!"

He was giddy all throughout the morning practice, happily doing whatever he he was told. He didn't seem to flinch in fear whenever Kageyama snapped at him. He barely retorted whenever he got yelled at. He even got up with a wide smile after he took one of Asahi's full-force spikes to the face by accident.

Nothing seemed to bother him, which unnerved a lot of people. Kageyama was among that group, not understanding why the small player was so inexplicably happy.

"Oi. What's up with you today?" he demanded after practice, glaring down at Hinata.

Hinata looked up at him, that stupidly wide smile on his face making it seem like he had flowers floating around him. "Hm? What do you mean, what's up with me? Nothing's wrong, if that's what you're asking," he replied, that smile still never leaving his face.

Kageyama's frown only grew a little bit deeper at that response. He wasn't wondering if anything was wrong. He just wanted to know what was making Hinata so distracted the entire day.

"No, idiot. I mean why are you so happy? Did you get a date or something?"

Although Hinata flushed red, he managed to maintain a smile. "N-no! Of course not! I-I just…" He trailed off, a small laugh escaping him. "I'm just really excited! I'm going to see Aika after this, and I'll know how her surgery goes by tomorrow afternoon! I'll be the first person to see her when she wakes up after the operation!" he exclaimed, the air around him practically sparkling.

In that moment, Kageyama's heart dropped into his stomach.

He'd wanted to go see her during her surgery weekend. He just wanted to go see if she was going to be alright, if the surgery went well and her recovery would go the same way. He'd been planning to ask Hinata about it, but he'd chickened out for the past week.

"I-It's tomorrow?" he managed to choke out.

The air around Hinata seemed to stop sparkling as he stared up at Kageyama with a knowing look on his face. His lips played upwards in a small smile, one that was much more mature than the ones he usually showed. It was like something clicked in his mind as he stood, plastering that wide, stupid smile on his face once again.

"Hey, Kageyama… did you want to come with me to see her?"

Hinata's suggestion managed to make Kageyama's face turn a deep red as he forcefully looked away from the middle blocker. He didn't want to look at those eyes of Hinata's that looked at him like he knew the fullest extent of what Kageyama really wanted.

Of course, Kageyama wanted to agree.

He wanted to go to see Aika again. Somehow, she'd become such a huge part of his life in just the first part of the school year. He had become so used to seeing her every day at practice and sometimes in school that going the past three weeks without seeing her or even hearing from her was such a jarring difference to him that it'd taken him a while to accept it. He still hadn't adjusted to not having her around.

Slowly, he glanced back to Hinata, who was packing up his bag after the morning practice. Hinata shoved his volleyball bag into the small lockers in the club room and slung his overnight bag over his shoulder, standing to face Kageyama.

"If you want to come, you should go pack," he advised. "I don't know how far away you live, but the train is departing from Sendai Station. I'm taking the Akita Line, and the tickets are a little over eleven-thousand yen. Hurry up, 'cause I'm not waiting for you!"

Kageyama flushed an even deeper red than he already was, his embarrassment becoming too much for him to handle. It was like Hinata had seen right through his silent denial and red face. "I-I never said I wanted to go with you!" he practically shouted, causing both Sugawara and Azumane, both of whom were still changing, to stare at him in surprise.

Grinning, Hinata moved to leave the room. "You didn't have to. It was pretty obvious," he shot back.

If Kageyama turned any redder, he swore that he'd explode.

* * *

Hinata looked at his phone, checking to see the time.

"Jeez, this Kageyama is going to miss the train!" he complained to himself, although most of the people around him could hear him. He irritably snapped his phone shut and shoved it in the pocket of his black jeans, ones that he barely ever wore.

He felt as if he was extremely out of place in what he was wearing, despite his clothes being something that most people would deem trendy. He rarely wore anything besides his school uniform and his volleyball clothes, so wearing something that wasn't either of those things was weird to him.

The outfit he'd chosen was something he'd worn in the past, when Aika had invited him out to dinner to meet her brother and aunt. He'd been nervous, not knowing what to wear, and it'd shown.

When he told her, she'd only laughed and offered to help him pick something that was suitable. He'd easily taken her up on the offer, the two of them having often hung out at his house after school sometimes to keep practicing a little longer. More than often, they got distracted by some sort of video game, which led to Aika having to stay for dinner.

That day, she'd picked out an outfit for him that fit really well in his opinion. It was a white T-shirt with the number 10 on it, the number he'd loved so much since he first saw the Tiny Giant play. She'd told him to tuck the shirt into his jeans so he didn't look sloppy, and had handed him a warm, black hoodie to go along with it.

It was something that he'd always defaulted to whenever he had to pick out something nice to wear.

People sometimes complimented his style, but he never knew what to say when they did. After all, it wasn't really his choice.

Hinata sighed, leaning back against the wall of the train station. "The train's going to leave in ten minutes… I wonder if he's even going to come," he muttered to himself.

He was so sure that Kageyama was going to show up, especially after seeing the look on the setter's face when Hinata had admitted that he was going to see Aika. Kageyama had looked like he was ashamed and like he wanted to say something, but just didn't.

When Hinata had teased him, just to be sure, he'd turned a bright red, one that was a dead giveaway of how Kageyama really felt. The look in Kageyama's eyes upon realizing just what was happening that weekend was one thing, but the red face was another bit of evidence to support the theory Hinata had formed.

He wasn't sure, considering he was definitely no expert on matters of the heart, but Hinata had enough experience to know the signs of a crush when he saw one.

"Oi." He suddenly heard that familiar voice. "Come on. We're going to be late," Kageyama murmured.

He looked different, too. He was wearing just a casual pair of jeans and a pullover sweatshirt, a baseball cap sitting on his head. His bag was under his arm, and he looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but where he was at that moment.

Hinata grinned internally, knowing that his hunch was absolutely correct. But since it was Kageyama, he didn't grin at all. Instead, he snapped back, "And who's fault do you think that is?!"

Flushing a deep red, Kageyama pursed his lips and glared at Hinata. "S-shut up!" he practically shouted, his voice echoing through the halls as he began walking away, towards the track they were leaving from.

With a wide grin that took over his face, Hinata moved to follow after Kageyama. He noticed the tickets in Kageyama's hands, and couldn't help but feel triumphant in what he'd discovered. He quickened his pace to catch up with his setter, peering up at his red face.

After everything that had happened, he was sure that the red tint of Kageyama's face wasn't just pure embarrassment. It was because his pulse was fast and he didn't know how to respond, just like someone was whenever they were developing feelings for another person.

 _Yep, I'm sure of it! Kageyama… he likes Aika._

He paused, seeing the confused look in Kageyama's eyes.

That wasn't how someone with a crush looked. That was how someone who was still struggling to understand their own emotions looked.

Hinata merely grinned.

 _Maybe he just doesn't know it yet._

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _Sorry this is nearly a week late! I'll make up for it by uploading on time next week.  
_


	25. Recovery

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 25: Recovery

The train ride was silent, despite it being a little over two hours long.

Hinata was constantly messaging back and forth with Aika, his smiles hard to ignore as he giggled whenever she said something he found funny. It was the only sound on the otherwise quiet train, and to say that it was bothering Kageyama would be an understatement.

He consistently glanced over to Hinata, who was sitting in the seat across from him, wondering just what the two of the were talking about back and forth. It had been a while since he'd seen Hinata smile as much as he was now, reading those messages from Aika. It'd been probably around three weeks, now that Kageyama thought about it.

He peered over at Hinata, half wanting to ask what Aika possibly could have said that was so funny and half wanting to tell him to shut up.

Both were viable options, as he just wanted to know what she was saying.

"Hey, Kageyama." He snapped out of his own thoughts, staring with wide eyes at Hinata. The other wore a wide, knowing smile on his face. "What's up with that face? It's all scrunched up, like _uwagh_!" he exclaimed, holding back a laugh.

Kageyama flushed and angrily snapped back, "Shut up, dumbass! I'm thinking!"

"Thinking about Aika?"

Suddenly, Hinata was much quieter as he stared at the phone in his hands. His gaze wasn't as excited as before, and instead, he seemed much more subdued. He held onto his phone tightly, and he looked Kageyama directly in the eye.

His red face darkening once more, Kageyama glared outside the window, refusing to look at Hinata and his knowing eyes. "Of course not! W-what's up with that?" he demanded.

For a few moments, there was only silence as Hinata stared at his phone again.

"Hey, Kageyama… Have you ever had a crush on someone before?"

 _A crush? Why would I? By the time I was old enough to think girls were cute, I didn't pay attention to anything but volleyball._

 _When I didn't pay attention to anything but volleyball, the girls in my school thought I wouldn't make a good boyfriend, or that I wasn't interested in girls or something. There was never a girl who understood me enough for me to think that I wanted to date them._

He didn't want to reply to Hinata, knowing that the other would just make fun of him. After all, every other guy knew how it felt to have a crush.

When he didn't answer, Hinata let out a soft chuckle, closing his phone. "I'm assuming that you haven't," he murmured. He let his head fall back against the seat of the train. "I used to have a crush on Aika. She was my first real crush, since she really understood how much I wanted to play volleyball. But I was stupid, and I never acted on it." He chanced a look back at a confused Kageyama, and almost laughed again. "I'm not sad that I didn't tell her I liked her. 'Cause now that I think about it, I think I just liked her 'cause she was the first girl to understand me. I never felt more for her than a sibling would."

"Why are you telling me this…?" Kageyama asked under his breath.

Hinata sat back up straight, that wide, stupid smile on his face. "I'm telling you 'cause it's pretty obvious that you like Aika. I'm not surprised that you do, and I think it's different than how I liked her. She's my sister, and the best friend I could ever ask for. But you…" He trailed off for a moment. "You look at her like she's all you can see."

"W-what do you mean?"

"It started back during the Aoba Josai match." Both of them froze when Hinata mentioned that game. "She was always cheering you on, and you were always looking to her for advice. Then, after the game, you were always watching her, especially when she said she was going away to get surgery. But then, when she left, you kept looking for her. Like something was missing," he admitted, seeming much older than he was.

Kageyama's shoulders slumped in realization, knowing that Hinata was right. He'd constantly been looking for Aika, wanting for her to give him advice on his form or on his tosses. After just a few months, he'd become so used to seeing her that her not being there was weird to him.

He bit his lip, not wanting to tell Hinata anything. It wasn't any of Hinata's business whether or not Kageyama had feelings for Aika.

"That's… I…" he choked out, not knowing what else to say.

Hinata understood, even though Kageyama couldn't say anything. "You know, having a crush on someone is a good thing. Maybe you'll be less scary if you get a girlfriend," he joked.

"Hinata! Shut up!"

* * *

"Aika!" Hinata practically bounced into the hospital room, where Aika was sitting up in the hospital bed.

She glanced over from where she was, to other pairs of eyes following her gaze. Hinata froze, seeing both Kenma and Nekoma's rooster-haired captain sitting with her. Kenma was sitting on her bed with her, showing her his game screen.

Immediately, Aika offered him a smile. "Shoyo… it's good to see you!" she exclaimed happily, her eyes crinkling upwards in a smile.

Hinata paused for a moment, staring at her, like he was trying to figure out what was different with his friend. "You cut your hair!" he finally realized, a wide smile coming over his face. He couldn't believe how short her hair was. It felt like she was an entirely different person without long hair.

"Yeah, I did. It felt like it was time for a change." She played with the ends of her now-short hair before focusing her gaze on him again. "How have you been? It feels like it's been longer than three weeks since I've seen you." She paused as he rushed in, moving to stand near her bed. "Shoyo, have you grown since I saw you?"

He beamed at her. "I did! I grew half a centimeter!" he announced, pulling up a chair and tossing himself down in it.

"It feels like you've grown more… soon enough, you're going to tower over me." She reached over to ruffle his orange hair. He smiled under her touch, his eyes twinkling as he glanced at her. Her hand slowed, resting on his head as she turned her gaze to the door, where another figure was standing.

Hinata followed her gaze, seeing Kageyama, who was just waiting in the doorway, like he was frozen. He was just watching the happy reunion between the two with a hesitant look in his eyes. Hinata couldn't help but smile as he saw the expression on Kageyama's face. He reached up to take Aika's hand, the one that was on his head, as he turned to face Kageyama.

He sent a small, teasing smile at his teammate. "Aren't you going to come say hello? You _did_ come here to see Aika, didn't you?"

Kageyama's face turned red again. "S-shut up…" It wasn't as harsh as usual as he walked forwards, moving to stand beside Hinata's chair. He simply watched Aika, who met his gaze and offered a small smile at him. "It's… it's good to see you're doing well," he managed.

"Hey now, that isn't all you came to say to her, is it?" The question came from the rooster-haired captain, who was grinning mischievously at Kageyama. "Didn't you want to say something like 'I missed you' to her?"

Neither Aika nor Hinata could help the giggles that escaped them, although Aika's were much more subdued than Hinata's. Both fixed their eyes on Kageyama's red face, tinged with both embarrassment and anger, as he struggled to contain himself.

Instead, he took a deep breath inwards, facing Aika once more.

"I…" he began, his words failing him. "I'm glad to see you."

At that, Aika's own eyes widened, hearing the words coming in that familiar timbre that could only belong to Kageyama. He hadn't been pushed to say it, either, despite Kuroo's teasing.

Hinata watched in amusement as her own face began to turn slightly pink.

"It's good to see you, too, Kageyama."

* * *

Both Shoyo and Kageyama had stayed in Aika's hospital room that night, sleeping in the comfy chairs in the corners, the two of them slumped over like they usually were on the bus.

Aika couldn't help but smile at the two of them, seeing how wiped out they'd been, probably from early practice that morning. It was easy to tell that neither of them had gotten much sleep, Shoyo probably less than Kageyama.

She had been surprised, to say the least, when Kageyama had shown up at the hospital.

Shoyo hadn't told her anything about the setter accompanying him on the visit. In fact, besides the updates about the team that he gave her after each practice, there was never much talk about Kageyama. He simply hadn't been a subject that they'd talked about.

Yet, despite her surprise, she wasn't unhappy about him being there.

Since the start, Aika had considered Kageyama to be one of the Karasuno boys that she was closest to. He'd always been open with her, even with his lack of knowledge about social graces. He wasn't very good with words, and he was never very good at being nice, either.

Aika had always known that he wasn't the easiest person to get along with, which was fine with her.

But even though he wasn't good at being around people, that didn't mean that Kageyama wasn't a nice person.

After all, he had been the one who had convinced her to join Karasuno during their first big practice match to Aoba Josai. He'd always gone out of his way to talk to her, taking interest in whatever she was doing and writing for them after practices. He talked to her not just as the assistant coach for Karasuno, but as someone he respected and listened to.

If she had to choose what he was to her, she would gladly call him a friend.

Aika glanced over to the two, who were still sleeping, Shoyo practically curled into a ball as he laid in his chair. Kageyama's arms were crossed, his head hanging and his eyes closed. Aika couldn't help but giggle at the two as she carefully lifted herself out of bed.

She grabbed the cane that the doctors had forced her to use to get around and a blanket from the foot of her bed. Hobbling over to the boys, she carefully draped the blanket over the two, both of whom were in a deep sleep. Neither of them stirred as she tucked the blanket underneath Shoyo.

Standing up straight, Aika couldn't help but feel happiness well up in her chest.

She reached out to Shoyo, running her hand through his brightly-colored hair. She leaned down and gently pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head, something she used to do back in middle school, whenever he fell asleep in his living room after dinner and a movie whenever she stayed too late by accident. He never really knew that she did that, but she was fine with that.

"Thank you, Shoyo," she murmured against his hair. "I'm glad that you're with me for this."

After a second, Aika pulled away from Shoyo and turned to Kageyama. She let her hand fall to her side as she simply stared at the boy for a moment.

Knowing she wasn't as close with Kageyama as she was with Shoyo, Aika hesitated. She definitely didn't feel close enough to run her hand through his hair, let alone give him a kiss on the head. They were friends, at least according to her, but they weren't that close.

Instead, Aika stumbled over to her bed and grabbed one of the two pillows lying on it. She returned to Kageyama's side and, for just a moment, smiled down at his sleeping form. Gently pulling at his crossed arms, she quickly pushed the pillow into his grasp, allowing his head to rest on it. He buried his face into the soft cushion, sighing as he did.

A wave of satisfaction rose in Aika's chest.

"Goodnight, Kageyama. Thank you for coming," she whispered.

* * *

Kageyama heard the covers rustling and knew that Aika had gone back to her own bed.

Slowly and carefully, he opened one eye. Seeing her form back in the hospital bed, he lifted his head off of the pillow she'd given him while she thought he was asleep. He held the pillow a bit closer to him as he felt his pulse racing.

He was good at faking sleep. It had been a sure-fire way to get people to leave him alone on the bus rides back from tournaments or practice matches when he was in middle school.

Faking sleep when Aika was showing such soft gestures of affection to Hinata and Kageyama, which weren't very common from her, was a lot more difficult. It was when she was close that Kageyama's pulse quickened dramatically, causing him to almost give himself away to her out of pure embarrassment. He swore that his face was getting hotter, and it wasn't just from the blanket that had been draped over his body.

His face turning red, he buried himself back into the pillow Aika had given him, hoping to hide himself from whatever was around him.

It didn't help at all. Instead, it only made the fact that Aika had been the one to give him the pillow that much more obvious.

He'd never noticed how good Aika smelled. Even though she'd been pressed against him as she slept the day of the Aoba Josai match, he hadn't been able to tell then. Maybe it was because he was too nervous to even think about what she smelled like. Or maybe it was because he wasn't so hyper-aware of her presence.

 _Apples. She smells like apples._

It was a sweet sort of smell, the type that was hard to figure out the origin of the first time. But Kageyama, with his face buried deep into the pillow that smelled just like Aika's hair, knew that the smell was that of apples.

His face only turned a darker red as he tried to hide himself even further.

* * *

Hinata felt Kageyama moving around tirelessly in the chair next to him.

He was sure that it was because of Aika, because of how kind and loving she was when she thought no one else was looking. She always cared for him if he fell asleep at inopportune moments, and she cared for Kageyama the same way for the first time since he'd known her.

Sneaking one eye open to peek at Kageyama, he only saw the blunt setter's face buried so far into the pillow that he wasn't sure if Kageyama could ever come back out.

Hinata stifled a soft giggle as he forced himself to turn away from Kageyama, sure that he was dyed red behind the cushion.

He couldn't help but be proud of his teammate for figuring out his feelings.


	26. Heartbeats

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 26: Heartbeats

"Kenma!"

Said setter turned to see a blur of orange behind him in the hallway of the hospital, panting, as if he'd run to catch up with him, the more frightening setter behind him, stoically watching Kenma. "Shoyo," he murmured softly, turning around fully to face Hinata and his friend.

Hinata stood up and beamed brightly. "We got the invitation from you guys. You and your scary rooster captain got us into the training camp, right? Thank you very much!" He and his friend both bowed deeply, catching Kenma off guard for a moment.

Quickly regaining his composure, Kenma shook his head. "You shouldn't thank me," he replied. "This was all for Aika. Kuroo wouldn't do it if it wasn't for her. She's been missing you guys a lot."

He swore he saw Karasuno's setter blush a bright red. Kenma's eyes flashed for a moment as he stared at his rival setter, examining his expression as the conversation turned to Aika. As soon as her name was mentioned, Kageyama – at least that's the name Kenma remembered – had turned his gaze away, completely avoiding all eye contact with Kenma.

"Really?! She said so?!"

Hinata, however didn't react the same way. Instead, he seemed to get even more excited when he was told that Aika had missed him.

Kenma nodded slowly. "I've been meaning to ask, Shoyo… it's a strange coincidence that you know Aika, and that we're on rival teams. How did you two meet?"

For a second, Hinata was quiet, lost in his thoughts. "Well, we became friends after she found me." He paused. "Wait, actually… we weren't friends at first. It took us a while to really become friends, but it was definitely worth the wait." He smiled, as if he was remembering something that made him happy. "She offered to help me work on my volleyball skills, and we just slowly began to spend more time together. She even came with me to Karasuno to keep a promise she made to me in middle school."

Kenma nodded along to Hinata's story. "That sounds like her," he murmured.

"I'm really grateful to her… so I wanted to be able to do something for her someday. That's why I'm going to take every opportunity I can to get better, so I can repay her when I'm good enough." Hinata, his eyes shining with determination, declared, "I'm going to stand on a national stage to fulfil her dream!"

A pause followed his declaration.

"You love her lots, don't you?" Kenma questioned quietly.

Hinata's face was as bright as his hair, and he looked as if someone had set him on fire. His hands were out in front of him, waving wildly in denial. "N-no! I mean, o-of course I l-love her, but not like that!" he practically shouted.

Laughing softly, Kenma shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant. You care about her a lot."

A wave of calm washed over Hinata, and he slowly nodded. "She's like an older sister to me. Even though we're about the same age, she's always looking after me. Being here for her is the first time I've been able to do anything for her since we met." His tone was soft, his voice quiet, unlike Hinata usually was.

"I see." Kenma paused, looking towards the sign above the operating room. "After this," referring to the surgery she was undergoing, "she won't be able to go back to Karasuno just yet. She needs to be looked after by her surgeon, so she'll be attending Nekoma until after summer ends. She'll be going to physical therapy every week or so, and usually, Kuroo or I will be going with her." He turned back to Hinata. "She's going to need someone to visit her, otherwise she's going to get sick of us."

Both Karasuno players stared at Kenma, shocked by the amount he was speaking in order to tell them about Aika's condition after the surgery. He wasn't ever vocal, even when it came to the sport he had dedicated himself to. But when it came to his childhood friend, he was much more open with them.

Hinata's bottom lip wavered, before he burst. "I'll come visit her as often as I can! I'll even bring some of the team! I'll do my best!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the hall.

"Dumbass, be quiet!" Kageyama hissed. "This is a hospital!"

In response, Hinata slapped his hands over his mouth, successfully muffling the retort he'd prepared for his friend. Kageyama only taunted Hinata even more, mocking him for stifling his own words. Watching in amusement, Kenma couldn't help but think that Aika had made good friends in Miyagi.

 _They're good kids._

* * *

Aika's surgery had finished, but only one person was allowed to see her at a time. Kuroo had wanted to be the first, wanting the full results on what was happening with his friend.

Hinata had been the next, pushing forward before anyone could even think about who would visit Aika next. His impatience had been noted by both Kageyama and Kenma, who were with him as he fidgeted in his seat, even ignoring the convenience store food that the four had bought.

"That orange one sure does love her, doesn't he?" Kuroo asked with a laugh as he opened his own lunch. "Except for you, Kenma, I've never seen someone panic so much when it came to Ai."

Kenma flushed a bit, but ignored Kuroo. "Kageyama, would you like to see her next? She'll be asleep, but you can at least see that she'll be okay," he offered, turning his cat-like gaze on Kageyama.

Although Kageyama wanted nothing more than to be able to see that the assistant coach was going to be okay, that her surgery had gone well, that she was going to make a full recovery, he also didn't want to see her while she was still in a drugged sleep.

"No, that's okay," he managed to reply. "I think I'll wait until she's awake."

The two Nekoma students exchanged a knowing look, but Kenma simply returned his gaze to the food in his lap. Kuroo fixed his eyes on Kageyama, the smug smile falling from his face as he fixed his gaze on the first year. His eyes were now shadowed with a look of reluctance.

"I wouldn't normally be talking to you about this, but Kenma insists that you should know. We're sure that the shrimp knows already, considering he's known her for a few years now. But you've known her for… what, three months?" He pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocking it as he continued to speak. "Have you ever looked up videos of her playing?"

"Yes," Kageyama replied easily. "I've seen lots of videos of her best plays. She was an incredible setter when she still played." Although he was replying with ease, he wasn't too comfortable under the Nekoma captain's eyes.

Kuroo sighed and typed something into his phone. His eyes stayed locked on Kageyama as he did. "Have you seen her final game?" Kageyama shook his head, and Kuroo heaved another heavy sigh. He turned the phone towards him, and Kageyama peered at it curiously.

It was of a match between Aika's middle school team against another team that he didn't recognize. He only knew it was her from the hair, which was now a familiar color to him.

" _And it looks like we've got Yukigaoka's Ace serving now,"_ announced the commentator. _"Aika Yamada, age fourteen, is known for her powerful jump serves and the ability to use her opponent's weaknesses against them. She's a scary opponent, that's for sure."_

All became quiet as Aika leapt up to serve, the ball flying across the court and landing just in the opponent's side, too quickly for them to retaliate. The whistle blew, signifying that she'd earned a point. The team huddled around Aika, cheerfully celebrating.

Kageyama could see that Aika's face was strained as she moved back into her place. He could even see that she stumbled as she returned to her place as the server. He watched as she bounced the ball, preparing to serve once more. It was another jump serve, one that was so fast that no one even moved before the point was earned. It was a scary thing.

But Aika was suffering.

The pain was written all over her face, and Kageyama couldn't help but wonder why none of her teammates or coaches switched her out. She was clearly hurting badly, but no one even seemed to notice that she was killing her leg.

"I-I don't need to see the rest of this," he stammered, trying to look away. "If it's just her getting hurt, I don't want to see it."

As soon as the words left his lips, the entire crowd in the recording gasped, murmurs nearly overpowering the whistle as it blew in a way that signaled that a player was injured.

" _I-It seems that… that Aika Yamada has been badly injured…"_ Even the commentator seemed shocked by the sudden turn of events. _"A time out has been called… as have medics. They're approaching her with a stretcher, but Yamada doesn't seem to be able to move."_

The Aika in the video was on the floor, writhing in pain as one of her legs looked like it was twisted the wrong way. It looked swollen and angered, agitated as she sobbed. Tears were running down her face as she struggled, trying desperately to get to her feet. She even pushed away the stretcher, yelling something at the medics, as she pushed herself up, only to fall onto the court once more, her leg refusing to listen to her.

For some reason, Kageyama couldn't look away from the gruesome sight. "Why… why did you show this to me?" he choked.

Kuroo pulled the phone away from him, locking the screen. "Because you're Ai's friend, aren't you? And you want more from that relationship, right?" he asked, no hint of teasing in his voice. "You and that shrimp and that freak quick… your team…" He paused, clutching the phone tightly. "You guys are the best hope she has of seeing a national stage while she's in high school. That's why I helped bring you guys to the summer camp. So you can learn, and you can get her there."

Although Kageyama was red from the insinuation that he liked Aika as more than a friend, he realized just how important it was to Kuroo that Aika see a national stage. Everything that Kuroo had done to pull strings for Karasuno wasn't just for the rivalry, but also for the young girl that had joined the Karasuno team and offered them her help.

"It's her dream, isn't it?" he murmured. Looking Kuroo straight in the eye, he nodded. "It's not just for her, though. I'm going to be selfish, because I want to stand there, too. But I'll be sure to bring her with me when we make it."

Kuroo simply stared at him for a moment.

He recognized the look on the young setter's face, the fire in his eyes, as the light of determination that he used to see on Aika's face, back when she was younger and still working on her tosses.

That light hadn't quite died yet, but it wasn't as bright as Kageyama's was.

"I see." Kuroo's smug grin tugged at his lips, coming back over his face as he quietly looked to Kenma. He was also watching Kageyama, a hint of recognition in his eye. "I'll put my faith in you, then, Kageyama. Please look after Ai for me."

Kageyama blinked in confusion, but then managed a nod.

"I will."

* * *

Aika watched silently as Kageyama entered the hospital room, his gaze aimed at his feet. He didn't say anything as he approached the bed where she sat upright, her leg raised in order to prevent her from moving it the wrong way.

"You're so quiet, Kageyama," she said softly. "It's not like you."

He looked up at her, finally meeting her eyes. He bit his lip, knowing that she was waiting for him to say something. "I… I'm glad your surgery was successful." That was all that he managed before he bowed sharply. "Your friend showed me the video of your last game! I'm going to make sure that we get to the nationals this year, and I'll be sure that you're right there with us!"

She could only stare at him for a moment, shocked by his sudden outburst of emotion. "W-well… that was an unexpected turn of events." She simply smiled at him, her gaze somewhat sad. "I knew that you'd see it, but I didn't expect for Tetsu to be the one to show it to you."

"I… I'm sorry," he murmured.

Shaking her head, she smiled at him again, her emotions no longer negative ones. "I know you'll make it. So don't be sorry, please." She then looked to her bag, which was sitting in the corner of the room. "I've had nothing much to do for the past few days, so I spent them writing down some things that you can take back to Karasuno. They're new techniques you guys can pull off, and new plays to practice hard at. You'll need them, since you're going to make it to the national stage, right?" she teased.

Kageyama nodded, moving to the bag. "Would you like me to take them back?"

"Yes, please. They're in the notebook that says Karasuno, of course." She laughed as he pulled out several notebooks with wide eyes. "Sorry, I also brought my schoolwork. We do have finals coming up."

At that Kageyama froze, the Karasuno notebook in hand. "Yeah… finals…" For once, he sounded nervous, like he was trying to avoid the idea of the final exams that were quickly approaching.

Aika couldn't help but laugh. "You and Shoyo are so similar, you know that?" She quickly lifted her hands as Kageyama sent a glare at her. "Both of you might have trouble with your exams, considering you both live and breathe volleyball. But if you work hard enough, I'm sure you'll make it. Just be sure to try your best, okay?" she asked with a grin on her face.

Kageyama couldn't help but stare at her, wanting to hear her laugh again. He bit his lip, but nodded. "I'll do my best, and I'll study hard. After all, I want to go to the summer training camp, and if I don't pass, I can't come," he admitted.

"Give me your phone."

For a second, he froze. Then, he pulled out his phone, which wasn't much to look at, considering he never used it. He never really had a reason to, since he never had many friends to talk to in the first place. As she took it, he felt his heart jump a little in his chest, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. He watched as she typed something into his phone, then handed it back to him. He only stared at it, unable to help the way he looked at the small piece of plastic. He looked back to her after a moment, only to see her smiling again.

She giggled at him, and his heart leapt again. "Now you have my phone number and email, and I have yours. You can ask me whenever you need help with something on your exams, okay? Just be sure to work hard, so I can see you guys at the training camp, alright?" she asked softly.

Kageyama could only stare at her for a moment, but then he nodded. "I'll come visit you when I can, too," he offered.

Another smile on her face. "I'd like that a lot."


	27. Intelligence

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 27: Intelligence

If Tobio Kageyama had learned just one thing in school, it was that final exams absolutely sucked.

He had always focused all of his being on volleyball. All of his brainpower had gone to thinking about new strategies and ways to implement what he already knew. He'd always been so focused on the sport he loved so much that there was barely any room for academics.

But he had to do his best, if just for this year, just this semester.

He needed to pass all of his exams if he wanted to go to Tokyo for the training camp. He had a goal to achieve, and that required him to pass his academics, even if he just barely scraped by.

 _I've got to work hard…!_

* * *

Only three days after her surgery, Aika had been discharged.

She'd settled back into her classes at Nekoma, catching up thanks to the notes Shibayama had given her while she was in the hospital. He'd offered her a sweet smile the day she returned and asked her if she was going to go to practice that afternoon.

Of course, she'd agreed. She'd been watching the practices for a while, but now that she was going to be at Nekoma for a few months, she was determined to keep her skills sharp. She wanted to improve her own skills as best she could, so she didn't let her boys, her Karasuno, down when she went back to them after a few months.

Shibayama had been agreeable, offering to push her around in her wheelchair. He did just that when it came to practice, leaving her next to the bench.

All of Nekoma were at least decently talented. None of them were, as she would put it, extraordinary in terms of their ability, but they worked incredibly well as a team, which was what made them so formidable. They were all part of one team, even though one of the more intimidating players was someone Aika had never seen before.

"Say, Shibayama, who is that?" she asked, referring to the tall, silver-haired boy who looked as if he was half Japanese, half something else. His eyes were even more cat-like than Kenma's, and he was so long and thin that he looked like even more of a beanpole than Tsukishima did.

Following her gaze, Shibayama nodded. "Ah, him? That's Lev Haiba. I'm surprised you haven't seen him around… but then again, most of his practice is spent running from Yaku," he replied with a laugh.

"Lev… Haiba? Russian?" She paused, furrowing her brow in confusion. "And why is he running from Yaku? Did he mention Yaku's height?"

The small libero only laughed. "He's a tall player, so he has a lot of potential. He just doesn't really listen to anyone, and his receiving is pretty terrible. Yaku has been working with him on improving, but Lev only really manages to make Yaku mad," he admitted, laughter in his voice.

Shaking her head, Aika turned back to the practice. "So, he's improved enough to stand on the same court during practices? I bet he'll be a force to be reckoned with." She quickly reached for her bag, which sat in her wheelchair, and pulled out a new notebook, one she'd bought especially for the move to Nekoma.

Shibayama watched curiously as she scribbled down new statistics, giving each Nekoma player their own page. Her work was neat, with all of the stats on each player being complete and, to his surprise, incredibly accurate. She had been able to tell what each player's strengths and weaknesses were just by watching the practice game in front of her.

"The one with the most untapped potential is definitely Haiba, but he's not the most skilled player." She was muttering under her breath as she watched the game, her pen dancing across the paper. "Overall, the player with the most skill is probably Yaku, although Ken is the most intelligent. As for Tetsu…"

She winced as the captain taunted Lev, who only teased him back, making Tetsu even angrier as he lost his temper. Both Shibayama and Aika sighed at the childish captain.

"Well, Nekoma is lucky to have you," Shibayama said with a smile. "We've all heard lots about you from Kuroo and Kenma, and we're looking forward to working with you, even if it is only for a few months. Especially now that the Interhigh here is starting."

Aika couldn't help the vicious smile that took over her face. "Oh, I'm looking forward to it. I'll make sure that you boys get to the finals, if not win." Cracking her knuckles in determination, she began to write down even more things that the Nekoma team could work on.

At the look she wore, Shibayama only blinked.

* * *

There was less than a month left until final exams.

Kageyama was pouring all of his free time, of which he had very little, into studying. It was painful, but he was using notes he'd gotten from Tsukishima and Yamaguchi to review his worst subjects. Which, for all intents and purposes, were all of the subjects he was taking.

As he sighed, leaning back in his seat, his phone, which sat on the table, buzzed. He looked over to it to see that he'd gotten a new message.

 _To: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _From: Aika Yamada  
_ _How's the studying going?  
_ _Anything I can do to help?  
_ _I sent Shoyo some of my notes.  
_ _I can give you copies if you need.  
_ _Here's what I'm doing now._

He couldn't help the smile that came over him as he read the words Aika had sent to him. Attached to the message was a picture of a notebook page with neat writing on it.

The writing was definitely Aika's. He recognized it from the amount of times she went over something in her notebook with him. She'd written out the notes she'd taken back in Karasuno for her math class, a class that Kageyama was far from doing well in. He couldn't help but smile, seeing that she was studying the same things as him.

Tsukishima was smart, but he didn't have nearly the best attitude. He was difficult to get along with, even though their teamwork was much better than it used to be. Even though he'd agreed to help them out with studying, he still wasn't very patient, and he was always judgmental.

Aika, on the other hand, was easy for Kageyama to get along with.

Ever since he'd seen her after her surgery, she'd been messaging back and forth with him constantly. They were talking whenever they could, and she was often asking him how his studying was going. Whenever he told her that he wasn't doing so well, she would send him pictures of her notes. More often than not, they were exactly what he needed in order to study even harder.

 _To: Aika Yamada  
_ _From: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _Thank you very much.  
_ _I appreciate this a lot.  
_ _The IH Tokyo is starting, right?  
_ _Good luck._

"Oi, King." There was that annoying voice again. "Who are you talking to that's so important?"

Not wanting Tsukishima to know about Aika helping him, Kageyama simply ignored him, pulling out his math notebook. "None of your business." He proceeded to find the page with the same topic that Aika had sent him, comparing her notes to his, finding that he'd copied down a whole bunch of mistakes by accident. He bit his lip, quickly changing certain things.

 _I wonder if asking her questions would be bothering her?_

As if in response, his phone buzzed again.

 _To: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _From: Aika Yamada  
_ _I'm sure Nekoma will be fine.  
_ _I can't go, since I have therapy.  
_ _Please message me tomorrow.  
_ _I'm really bored._

He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips as he typed back a response.

 _To: Aika Yamada  
_ _From: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _Can I ask you questions then?  
_ _Math is really difficult for me._

As he sent it, he turned back to his notes, still ignoring Tsukishima, who was now lecturing Hinata on his idioms. Hinata wasn't doing too well in literature, which was, surprisingly, one of the only classes Kageyama was actually somewhat decent in.

He pulled out his math workbook, turning back to the pages that were about the topic he was now sure he understood much better than he used to. He'd gotten a lot of problems wrong back when they were studying it in class, as seen by the sheer amount of red marks on his book, but he was also sure he could go back and fix them.

As he looked over the problems, copying them down and redoing them, he made a mental note to ask his teacher tomorrow if they were right. He was sure that they were still somewhat wrong, but he caught himself several times on different mistakes he had made in the past.

His phone buzzed again.

 _To: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _From: Aika Yamada  
_ _Feel free to do so.  
_ _If math is hard,  
_ _I'm sure others are more so.  
_ _Do you need any other notes?_

He quickly finished the problem he was working on and dropped his pencil, typing out another reply.

 _To: Aika Yamada  
_ _From: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _English is my worst subject.  
_ _Honestly, I'm not doing well in general.  
_ _But I think I'll be okay for the most part.  
_ _Your notes are helpful.  
_ _Thank you._

* * *

Hitoka Yachi hadn't quite known what she'd gotten herself into when she'd agreed to join the Karasuno Volleyball Team.

For the past three months of attending Karasuno High School, she hadn't really been much of a social person. She'd mostly kept to herself, choosing to focus on her studies and her aspirations linked to her graphic design dreams. Being part of a team wasn't something that she ever thought she'd do in high school.

But, if she was to be honest, it wasn't as bad as she thought it'd be.

At first, all of the tall, fierce Karasuno boys had been a bit intimidating, especially since Yachi was so small, but she soon learned that most of them were actually just a bunch of dorks.

The two who weren't so scary were the other two first-years, Hinata and Kageyama. They were practically opposites in the way of their personalities, and she'd found it easy enough to help them out with their poor English and studying skills. Both of them were easy to talk to, and she found that they were also opening up to her after so much time studying with her. Hinata was the most vocal, often speaking about the trip to Tokyo, a team called Nekoma, and a girl named Aika.

At first, she'd assumed that Hinata was dating that girl, since he was almost always talking about her, but she quickly found out that Aika Yamada was the team's assistant coach who was currently in Tokyo to get surgery and physical therapy, and was currently attending Nekoma as she recovered. She had been Hinata's best friend since middle school, and he missed her terribly.

 _She's probably a really nice person if she's Hinata's best friend,_ Yachi thought, unable to help herself as she thought of the boy who was as bright as the sun.

She also found that volleyball was pretty cool.

All of the boys constantly tried their hardest, playing incredibly well together. It was like watching a puzzle being put together, or a flock of birds taking flight. She couldn't help but admire them as well, knowing that they were all working so hard to improve, even though they were all impressive as they were.

As she thought all of this, she walked towards the vending machine to get herself a drink. She sighed as she remembered that she was just someone who didn't know much about volleyball, and never really amounted to much.

She rounded the corner and quickly paused, seeing Kageyama leaning against the wall, his phone in his hand as he typed something to someone.

It was the first time she was seeing him in such a casual way. He was always the one reminding Hinata to get back to work whenever the three of them were all studying together. He was always quiet and usually had a stoic look on his face. She was never really able to tell what he was thinking, since he generally seemed to be hiding his feelings, or he was just always serious.

But seeing him leaning against wall, his eyes trained on his phone's screen, she couldn't help but think he looked a lot younger than he usually did. His eyes were filled with happiness as he read whatever was on his screen, a slight blush on his face.

"Kageyama?" she asked, feeling bad immediately afterwards. His immediate response was to snap his phone shut and shove it into his pocket, his blush growing more present as he fixed his gaze on her, panic written all over his face. "S-sorry!"

He calmed down, seeing that it was just Yachi. "Oh, no. It's fine. Sorry. I was just talking to someone. Lunch is one of the only times I get to check my phone."

For a moment, Yachi paused, seeing that Kageyama was still holding onto his phone. "Were you talking to… um… I think her name is… Yamada? Oh, right! That's her name! Was it Yamada?" she asked happily, excited she remembered Hinata's friend's last name.

To her surprise, Kageyama flushed a dark red. "Y-yeah. She was just telling me good luck in the practice match today… and that Nekoma made it through round one." He was practically muttering, his voice so quiet that she could barely hear it.

"That's good! I'm glad she wished you luck. I'll be watching!" She paused, seeing Kageyama's face darken even further.

He bowed slightly. "Thank you. Also, Aika said to tell you she's looking forward to meeting you," he said, fighting back his blush.

"Eh?! You told her about me?!"

Shaking his head, Kageyama seemed even more embarrassed. "No, Hinata told her. But she also said I should make friends with you, so she said it was to try to get us to talk. She… she thinks it'd be good for me to actually make friends with one of the managers." He quieted himself, only to say, "Honestly, I'm not good at talking, but she wants me to tell you that she says hi, so… hi."

Yachi blinked in confusion before nodding in false understanding. "Well, tell her that I said hi back! I'm also looking forward to meeting her. I'm sure she's real nice, since you like her so much," she babbled excitedly. At her words, Kageyama only darkened even more.

 _Oh? He's blushing a lot,_ she noticed. _Maybe… since Yamada isn't Hinata's girlfriend… maybe she's Kageyama's? Maybe that's why he's so red._

She, of course, chose not to comment on how darkly Kageyama was blushing, instead choosing to pass him and go to the vending machine for her drink. She kept an eye on him, though, as he pulled out his phone again, which had buzzed during their conversation. His blush only got darker as he read whatever Yamada had sent him.

Yachi stopped the giggle before it could escape.

Even the coolheaded Kageyama could lose his cool over someone he liked.


	28. Solitary

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 28: Solitary

Aika couldn't help but smile as the message from Kageyama showed up on her phone.

 _To: Aika Yamada_  
 _From: Tobio Kageyama_  
 _We have a practice match today._  
 _It's against Ouginishi High._  
 _I promise we won't lose._  
 _Will message with results._

She couldn't help but laugh at his hurried message with short, awkward sentences. They were just like what she expected out of him considering his awkward personality. He was much more poetic, although that was a bit of an overstatement, when she was talking to him in person.

"You're smiling again. Is it another message from that Kage guy?" asked Tetsu, who was reading the message over her shoulder. He had somehow snuck away from spiking practice to tease her, since she was distracted from her notes.

Pulling her phone away, she stuck out her tongue at him. He pursed his lips childishly as she returned to her messages. "His name is Kageyama, and yes, the message is from him," she replied shortly.

 _To: Tobio Kageyama_  
 _From: Aika Yamada_  
 _Go focus on your game!_  
 _Let me know how it goes._  
 _I'm rooting for you guys!_

"You guys are so cute, it's sickening," he muttered. "Why don't you just ask him out already?"

To his surprise, Aika looked at him with genuine confusion. "Why would I do that? Kageyama and I are teammates and friends, but I don't like him like that." She returned to her notes, putting her phone away, and left Tetsu to stare at her in shock.

He wasn't sure how to respond. He knew that Kageyama had feelings for Aika, given his red face and his vow to bring her with him to nationals, but he'd also been sure that Aika had returned those feelings. She rarely let anyone in, and after knowing Kageyama for less than three months, she'd felt comfortable enough with him to begin to open up and let him into her private thoughts.

"I… I thought…"

A hand on his arm stopped him, and Tetsu looked down at Kenma, who only shook his head. "She's always been this way, remember?" murmured the smaller boy, whose golden eyes, filled with something like sadness, gazed at Aika.

Although Tetsu was somewhat taken aback by Aika's sheer obliviousness when it came to romance, he remembered that she'd always been that way. Romance had never been a priority for her, especially when it was between herself and another volleyball player. She'd always thought of them as equals, although she was well-loved by so many people. She'd nearly always responded to someone's feelings with kindness, but had never acknowledged them as anything more than a friend.

 _I never thought I'd feel bad for Kageyama, but this girl really is something else._

* * *

The practice game against Ouginishi was a complete wash, but Kageyama was just excited to be playing against another team.

It felt right to be back in his uniform, wearing the number nine on his chest. He was nothing short of absolutely ecstatic to be back on the court and playing again. Practice was absolutely great, since he could feel himself growing as a player, but nothing beat playing against another team.

He remembered that Aika was waiting to hear the results, and he only proceeded to play his best, taking into account everything that he'd learned over the past few months.

All of the things that he was learning rushed into his mind.

There were so many things he had yet to perfect. He and Hinata both were still growing, still improving, and he had a long way to go. He needed to keep learning more, he needed to keep practicing.

As the game ended, he put his practice clothes back on and pulled his phone out along with his T-shirt. He flipped it open when he saw the notification of a new message. He could feel his skin heating up when he saw that it was from Aika.

 _To: Tobio Kageyama_  
 _From: Aika Yamada_  
 _Go focus on your game!_  
 _Let me know how it goes._  
 _I'm rooting for you guys!_

Ignoring the fact that his cheeks were probably incredibly red, he typed back to her.

 _To: Aika Yamada_  
 _From: Tobio Kageyama_  
 _We won, 2-0._  
 _Thank you for cheering._  
 _Hinata and I can't come this weekend._  
 _Final exams are soon._

As he looked over the message, he wondered if there was something strange in it. Something didn't feel right as he read it over and over again. He pursed his lips, wondering if there was something more that he could add to the message.

"Something wrong, Kageyama?"

He turned to see Sugawara staring at him in curiosity. He turned back to his phone, not knowing how to explain to Sugawara that he was talking to Aika, especially now that he was beginning to understand why Sugawara had called him a rival all that time ago.

It was because Sugawara liked Aika, and he thought Kageyama did, too.

"Just… I don't know how to talk to someone through messages," he admitted quietly, shame filling his chest. "I don't know if I'm being awkward or something, so I don't know how to talk to her."

There was a brief moment in which he could hear Sugawara sigh sadly. "Is this Aika you're talking to?" the elder finally asked, as if he'd known all along. Kageyama froze, having wanted to avoid mentioning her to his senior. "It's okay, please don't feel like we can't talk about her. You know, she's not the type to message much, either. Considering only a few people have her contact info, she's only really opened up to you and Hinata. As long as you say something to her, I don't think she'll care if it's awkward," he replied, a sort of half-smile on his face.

Kageyama looked down at the phone screen again. "I think I get it." He added one last thing to the bottom of the message.

 _To: Aika Yamada_  
 _From: Tobio Kageyama_  
 _We won, 2-0._  
 _Thank you for cheering._  
 _Hinata and I can't come this weekend._  
 _Final exams are soon._  
 _Good luck on your exams._  
 _See you in Tokyo._

As he did, he could hear Sugawara chuckling in amusement. He flushed, but hit send before he could change his mind. Closing his phone, he continued to clean up, trying to ignore how funny this must have looked to Sugawara.

* * *

Hinata was the only one who could make it after school on the Friday before exams started to study at Yachi's house.

Yachi looked at the bright, orange-haired boy who was always positive, who'd convinced her to join the volleyball club. Thanks to him, she'd found the courage to practically scream it at her mother. She'd even found the courage to find her own way to be useful to the team.

At first, she'd been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of energy he seemed to exude, plus the endless positivity he seemed to have all the time. But now, she wasn't scared of him.

All of the Karasuno team had been more than welcoming to her. They'd all been nice, and she'd come to think of them all as family, even if it had only been less than a month since she'd joined the Karasuno Volleyball Team as a manager, although she hadn't joined officially.

"Say, Hinata?" she asked as she closed her book.

He looked up from where he was cramming in last-minute English studies, blinking his wide, brown eyes. "What's up?"

For a moment, she hesitated, wondering if it was private. "You said that Yamada… er, Aika… is going to be in Tokyo, too, right?" He nodded. "Do you think she'll like me?" she wondered softly.

"Aika's a nice person, and so is Yachi!" he announced almost immediately, an easy sort of smile on his face. "You're both really great people, so I'm sure you'll get along great! After all, you like Karasuno, right?" A nod from Yachi. "And you're starting to like volleyball, right?" Another nod. "Then I'm sure the two of you will be just fine!"

She nodded in happiness. "I'm glad! I was afraid that Kageyama's girlfriend would think I'm not good enough to work with her boyfriend," she exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart as she breathed a sigh of relief.

Hinata paused, looking at her in confusion. He tilted his head, pushing his lips out like a fish. "What do you mean, girlfriend? Aika isn't Kageyama's girlfriend."

Yachi froze, horror washing over her. "I-I made another assumption! I'm so sorry! I just, I just saw him talking to her one time, and he looked so happy, and he was blushing, too, and you only do that when you really like someone and…!" She managed to stop herself upon seeing the amused smile that tugged at Hinata's lips.

"He was blushing, huh?" He laughed a little. When he looked at her again, the look on his face was much more mature. "Well, you're right about one thing. Kageyama really likes Aika, even if he's not totally willing to admit it. Come to think of it, I haven't even gotten him to accept it yet. He's kind of slow when it comes to this stuff, I guess."

"Really? I couldn't imagine…"

He laughed again, closing his own book and resting his chin in his hand. "I think he just doesn't know how to express that he likes her. Plus, she left before he figured it out, and I don't think he'd be the type to confess over text. I just hope they both figure it out soon, you know?" He smiled softly. "I just want Aika to be happy."

She could feel her entire body relaxing, seeing Hinata so pleased with himself. "Aika means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

"She's my best friend," he replied easily. "I told her that someday, I'll be her Maid of Honor when she gets married. And she'll be my Best Man when I get married!"

Yachi listened with wide eyes as Hinata began another story about how he and Aika had gone to the beach one day just to practice volleyball. Even with Aika's injured leg, she'd travelled with him in order to improve his reaction times, and how, by the end of the day, they'd gone for a walk on the beach and talked about the kinds of futures they were looking forward to.

She felt as if she knew Aika already, given how much Hinata spoke about her.

 _She must be an amazing person… I wonder how I'll stack up to her._

* * *

"Lev, for the last time, I'm not interested! Now get back to practice!"

It was the day that Nekoma finished their exams, and Aika was sitting with Coach Nekomata, who'd taken to her when she presented a new idea to Tetsu in how they should use more individual strengths, considering each person on Nekoma had a different type of play.

However, Nekomata hadn't been the only person to take to her. While the coach treated her as another troublesome grandchild, like he did with most of the Nekoma players, Lev Haiba had taken an interest in her because she was, as he put it, "small and cute."

Needless to say, she'd had Tetsu force Lev through extra blocking practice.

That hadn't caused the Russian player to become downtrodden, though. In fact, it'd only renewed his passion to ask her out, which he'd done whenever she paid him any attention at all. Each time, Aika rejected him, plus he was usually manhandled immediately afterwards by Tetsu or Yaku.

Yaku was another person Aika had easily befriended. When he recognized her, he immediately apologized, bowing deeply.

"I was the one who told Kuroo about your leg! I wasn't aware that it was supposed to stay a secret, so I got concerned when I realized you were friends, and I told him! I'm very sorry!" He'd practically shouted his apology at her, squeezing his eyes shut.

It was easy to like Yaku. He was like the mother of the team, similar to Sugawara, although with a much more violent side to him. Aika had easily forgiven him, saying that it all turned out the best way it could have, and the two had gotten along ever since. Yaku was constantly bringing Aika food or drinks so she didn't have to move during practice, and once, even wheeled her home when Kenma had skipped practice due to a new game coming out.

Everyone on Nekoma had been warm to her, even if Lev was a bit much to handle at some points. She found herself enjoying her time on the cat's side, but still wanted to return to her crows.

"Is he bothering you again?" Yaku asked teasingly as he handed over a cold water. "I can give him more practice again if you need."

She shook her head, looking over to where Tetsu was just throwing as many balls as he could at Lev, who was doing his best to return them, although most of them just ended up hitting him.

"I think Tetsu has it under control," she replied in amusement.

Yaku sat down next to her as he watched the team set up for their spiking practice, something he didn't participate in. "You've been rejecting him for something like two weeks now, right? What, tall beanpole isn't your type?" His tone was joking, but she could tell he was genuinely curious.

She grinned back at him, deciding to tease him just a bit. "Why d'you wanna know? You interested?"

His response was to turn a deep shade of red and stutter out a negative. She laughed softly, enjoying how cute the libero was when he was embarrassed. Looking back out to the team, she laughed again, seeing how enthusiastic the spikers were about hitting the ball.

"Hm… well, I like tall guys. Or, at least, guys who are taller than me." She paused, then added, "But that's not so hard, considering how short I am." Yaku laughed in agreement. "I like guys who are passionate about what they do, but I also like guys who are good at what they're passionate about. But other than that, if I like someone, I like them because of who they are, not because of any one quality they have."

He paused again, studying the wistful expression she wore. "Do you like someone now?" he asked quietly, almost hesitantly.

She slowly looked at him. "Do you promise not to tell Tetsu?" He nodded, his eyes falling to the captain. "I'm actually just trying to get over someone right now. He's a nice guy and all, but we'd never work out. I don't know why we wouldn't… it just wouldn't work."

Yaku leaned back. "I get why you don't want to tell him. He'd skin whoever that is alive," he joked.

Tetsu, as if knowing that someone was talking about him, glanced towards them, a feral grin on his face. The two shivered, recognizing that grin.

 _Yep… I feel bad for whoever tries to date Aika._

* * *

The red numbers at the top of the paper were taunting him.

They read "38" in bright, bloody crimson.

He'd only been two points away from passing, but two points away from passing was also known as failing. He'd failed his final exams, and he had to stay for supplementary classes.

Biting his lip, Kageyama cursed internally.

Failing meant no Tokyo, no practice games, and no seeing Aika.

 _Dammit._

* * *

 _Sorry for not updating since... early February? Yeah, I think that was it.  
My only explanation is that my mental state has been very unhealthy as of late, so I wanted to take some time to focus on myself.  
I am now fully back, and I'll be charging ahead with this story!  
_

 _I also wanted to make some announcements on pacing.  
Season two is taking markedly longer to get through, because this is where most of the development really happens, so the training camp ended up taking nearly 20 chapters to get through and finish.  
Because of that, I'll be combining the latter half of season two and all of season three into one, so I'll probably take a break somewhere around chapter 40 to finish and proofread the last few chapters and hammer out the final parts of the tournament.  
_

 _I also had a question for you all - would you want to see me continue into where the manga is currently headed?  
I can honestly see myself continuing to write in the current arc, especially because I'm enjoying Kageyama's character development, but I also want to leave it up to my readers. I don't want to draw out the story too long, because it's far longer than anything else I've written thus far.  
Please let me know._

 _Thanks,  
Chiyuki_


	29. Ride

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 29: Ride

The day came that Karasuno was coming to Tokyo.

It was early in the morning on a hot day in late July, but Aika was awake before the sun.

 _It's just a weekend, but I get to see my boys!_

She quickly bustled around on her crutches, trying not to wake Kenma or his parents. She quickly bathed, rinsing herself thoroughly and borrowing some of Mrs. Kozume's hair products. Seeing herself in the mirror, she noted that her shoulder-length hair had grown again, even if it was just a few centimeters. She twirled the strands around her finger before quickly finishing up in the bathroom.

Since she was seeing them again at for a volleyball practice, she couldn't dress too fancily. But, checking her phone, she realized it was going to be pretty hot out, so she chose to wear her black shorts, ones that fell just above her knees, and a bright red T-shirt.

The thing she wanted most, though was something she rummaged through her suitcase to find.

Sitting at the bottom of all of her clothing was the black Karasuno jacket she'd been given when she first decided to join the team. Clutching it tightly, she couldn't fight back the smile that took over her face as she realized just what seeing the Karasuno team meant.

 _Even if it's only a weekend, it's one less weekend without seeing them._

* * *

Kageyama was stuck.

The day that he was supposed to go to Tokyo with the rest of Karasuno, he was trapped in Miyagi, at Karasuno High School, taking supplementary classes with Hinata.

He wasn't just stuck.

He was in his own personal circle of Hell.

Two points were all that had stood between him and the bus to Tokyo, but he'd gotten one question wrong, and it'd been game over.

 _I hate this, I hate this, I hate this so much._

* * *

The bus pulled around the corner, and Aika felt her heart rate speed up.

From next to her, Yaku laughed. "You're excited to see all of them again. Anyone in particular?" he asked, referring to their conversation about a week beforehand.

She flushed. "Maybe," she shot back, sticking out her tongue. Tetsu raised an eyebrow on her other side and she just laughed.

As the bus pulled to a stop, Aika grinned. She held onto the hem of her jacket tightly, waiting to see who would be the first off the bus.

The first was, as she should have guessed, Sawamura, who greeted her enthusiastically. He surprised her by offering a hug, something that was perhaps unexpected from him, since both Tanaka and Nishinoya, the next two, gaped at the sight. However, both had been excited to see her, too, and had nearly jumped on her. They would have if it wasn't for Ennoshita.

Ennoshita greeted her with that typical serene smile she'd learned to expect from him, and she smiled right back, happy to see him, Kinoshita, and Narita, even if she didn't socialize very much with them. Azumane also greeted her with a smile and a short bow.

"Your hair looks good," she said, gesturing to his hairband.

He blushed a bit and bashfully replied, "Thank you. So does yours."

Both Tsukishima and Yamaguchi greeted her, although Yamaguchi's was much warmer than his friend's. Yamaguchi even extended a bouquet of flowers to her with a pretty ribbon wrapped around it, plus homemade cookies, also neatly wrapped in plastic with a ribbon around them.

"It's to celebrate your recovery," he explained with a soft grin. "I got you the flowers, but Tsukki made the cookies. Don't tell anyone, but he actually likes baking sweets, even if he doesn't like eating them."

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her, causing Tsukishima to look over at the two suspiciously. "I won't tell a soul."

Sugawara was the last person to greet her, coming over with that familiar warmth radiating from him. She wanted nothing more than to jump up and hug him, but since she was trying to keep stress off her leg, she stayed still, waiting for him to approach her.

"Suga senpai," she murmured, smiling up at him.

He said nothing, just held out a small, wrapped box. "I found this a few days ago, and I wanted to give it to you. I feel bad, since none of us visited because of final exams, so this is my apology for not keeping in touch with you," he explained quietly as she opened the box's lid.

Inside the box was a cellphone strap with a golden feather charm hanging from it. Although it was simple, it was extremely pretty, and Aika gaped at it, knowing it must have cost Sugawara a lot.

"S-Suga senpai, this is too much," she quickly said, putting the lid back on the box.

As she pushed it towards him, he shook his head. "I want you to have it. I felt really bad that I wasn't able to see you as often."

"But you and several others messaged me almost all the time. I wasn't lonely at all."

"I still feel guilty." He smiled gently at her, grasping her hands and pushing the box back towards her. "Please, take it? It'll make me feel better about not being able to come see you." Aika nodded reluctantly, holding onto it.

She smiled up at him, although for some reason, her smile was much sadder than it should have been. "Thank you," she managed. She then looked around him, searching for the blur of orange that would usually be the first one off the bus, constantly fighting with the black-haired setter. "Eh? I thought Kageyama was kidding when he told me that he and Shoyo failed…"

Sugawara sighed. "They studied really hard, but they didn't manage to pass. I feel awful about it, but they're going to have to stay there until they pass the supplementary exams. I don't know how they're going to make it here."

As soon as he said that, he noticed that Aika was sending a message to someone.

"I'm sure they have it covered. They want to come, right? If they don't figure out how to get here, I'm sure someone else will!" She beamed, and Sugawara couldn't help but laugh at her. "By the way, how did your exams go? I'm sure you did really well, considering it's you."

He shrugged. "I got an eighty-nine. It wasn't so bad, considering I spent a lot of time tutoring everyone who was at risk of failing. How about you?" He was sure her exam results were going to be high, considering she was in an advanced class.

"Ninety-six." At his surprised face, she just shrugged as well. "I wouldn't say I'm smart, I'd just say I absorb information really quickly." She paused. "I also know how to observe the area around me."

Raising one eyebrow, he crossed his arms and asked, "So, you cheated?"

"Just on the stuff that Nekoma teaches that Karasuno doesn't. Plus, it's not cheating if Shibayama offered his paper to me. It's… helping a friend. It teaches good social skills and the power of teamwork," she replied, a smug grin on her face.

She was much more open than she had been when she left Karasuno. She was laughing and joking, smiling openly and without much of a push. If she'd been like this before, Sugawara was that she would have been extremely popular among the male population of the school. After all, she was cute, smart, and talented, everything that a guy looked for.

It was just her personality that was awfully difficult for some people to handle.

Knowing this, he laughed. "You're really something, Aika."

Flipping her now-short hair, she grinned back at him. "I know I am."

* * *

Kageyama focused really hard on his supplementary exams. He focused as hard as he focused when he was playing a game. He focused on the words written before him like he focused on the movements of his fellow players.

It wasn't going to be for nothing, either.

While it was definitely taking up a lot of brain power, it was entirely worth it, just to be able to go to Tokyo, to participate in the training camp with some of the best schools in the country, and see Aika again. He had told her that he'd work hard so he could go.

" _Just be sure to work hard, so I can see you guys at the training camp, alright?"_

She'd asked that of him before he and Hinata had to leave to catch their train back to Miyagi. The way her eyes had looked at him, like she was begging him to come back, were enough to drive him to realize that he _had_ to pass.

Even though he hadn't passed his final, he only had to pass his supplementary test.

It was nearly too easy to pass, considering he'd studied so hard.

 _I'll be there soon…_

He and Hinata practically ran out of the school, stopping as they saw two people standing there, waiting for him. One was familiar to him, but the other was not.

The woman, a blonde woman who looked remarkably familiar, perked up. "Hey there, failure boys," she greeted cheerily, a familiar grin on her face. Gesturing to the car behind her, she told them one thing. "Get in."

"Saeko, you haven't even introduced yourself," the boy, who Kageyama recognized as Shinji, Aika's brother, reminded her.

She turned to glare at him. "They know who I am. After all, they know my little brother, Ryu, right? So they should get in the car if they want to make it to Tokyo."

Shinji grinned, resting his chin in his hand. "It's a four-hour drive," he shot back with a raised eyebrow. Saeko, now clarified as Tanaka's older sister, simply rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't matter. I'll get them there in the blink of an eye."

 _She's kinda cool…_

Kageyama thought this for just a moment, until Saeko actually started to drive.

Then, there was only one thought in his mind.

 _I'm gonna die._

* * *

"Ai-chi!" a voice called out to Aika as she and Karasuno entered the gym, somehow ringing out loudly enough to be heard over the yells of the other boys in the gym.

She stiffened, then sighed. "Oh, no. Here we go. Sugawara senpai, please go warm up with the others." He looked at her in concern, but she just shook her head. "He's just a kid. I can handle him." Although he let go of her wheelchair, he watched as a tall, silver-haired boy approached with a wide smile on his face. "Yes, Lev?"

"If we win all our games today, will you go out with me?" he asked cheerfully.

She sighed. "Maybe if you manage to receive approximately ninety percent of all the balls that come towards you, I'll consider it," she deadpanned.

Lev, as she called him, smiled even wider. "That's the first time you haven't turned me down!" His voice was even more cheerful now that he said this.

"It's practically a rejection, considering your receives still suck." The Nekoma libero, Yaku, approached them, his hands on his hips and a glare on his face. "Now, go warm up and stop bugging Aika. She's a good kid, and she doesn't need your stupidity to rub off on her."

Although Lev seemed like he wanted to protest, he didn't get the chance.

Yaku immediately grabbed Lev by the collar of his T-shirt. "Don't say a word, and go practice!" he snapped, practically throwing Lev onto the court.

Aika sighed heavily. "Idiot," she muttered.

Although, her tone wasn't venomous, but almost affectionate, like how she was with Shoyo.

* * *

Shinji and Kageyama were stuck in the back, uncomfortably squeezed together as both of the boys attempted to sleep. Shinji kept the lunches on his lap as he snoozed, his head falling forwards, while Kageyama leaned against the window.

"It's a wonder they're able to sleep," Saeko joked. "Shin might be used to my driving, considering he's worked with me for three years, but your friend back there is out like a light."

Hinata looked back and laughed. "I'm surprised that Shin works at the Karasuno diner with you. I knew he worked after school, but I didn't know it was there," he admitted, watching his friend's older brother with something akin to amusement.

"You know him well, don't you?"

The orange-hair shook his head. "Not well. I wouldn't say well. But he's my best friend's older brother, so of course I know him at least a little bit." He paused. "Are you guys going to stay during the entire training camp?"

Saeko shook her head. "Nah." She snickered, looking back at Shinji once again. "Probably not. My job is to drive you guys there. I was probably already going to end up driving this idiot, since he wants to see his little sis super bad. He feels awful, probably, since he wasn't there for her surgery. Actually, I don't think he was able to go at all."

Hinata's eyes widened as he realized what that meant. "You mean, Aika hasn't seen Shin in… two months?" he wondered aloud.

"It's been killing him. But, he wanted to work hard for her, and bring her something that he's been wanting to get her for ages." She smiled softly as she kept her eyes trained on the red-haired boy.

"Something… she's been wanting?"

She shook her head. "He won't tell me. I just know it's something big."

Hinata stared out the window, wondering just what that something was.

"Don't go spoiling my secrets now, Saeko," a drowsy Shinji snapped. "It's a small car, and I can hear you from pretty damn far away. It's something I've been working on for a while, and it's hard to keep from her. And we've got two of those fools here, so don't start blabbing now."

Saeko huffed. "No wonder Aika tells you to get a girlfriend. You're not sweet to anybody but her, are you?" she retorted.

Chuckling, Shinji opened one eye. "Nope. She's my one and only."

"Jeez, with that attitude, you'll never get a girlfriend."

"Didn't you hear me, woman?! I said that Aika's my one and only!"

"Sis-con? Are you a sis-con, my dear Shin?"

"N-no!"

His protests fell on deaf ears as Saeko laughed boisterously, drowning out his words.

* * *

Aika watched as Karasuno took on Fukurodani, the, perhaps, strongest of the Tokyo schools gathered in the gymnasium.

She was back where she belonged, at the Karasuno bench, with Ukai, Takeda, Shimizu, and the new girl, a shy young thing named Yachi. She was a sweet kid, to say the least, and Aika knew that she'd be a great addition to the team, especially as Shimizu's replacement.

"Bokuto and Akaashi are a perfect team. Almost as perfect as Oikawa and Iwaizumi," she said aloud, causing Ukai to grin. He'd missed her bluntness. "You were never going to win against them in this kind of game. You can't beat them with pure power."

She grinned though, clutching her Karasuno jacket tightly. She felt right at home again as she looked towards the six boys on the court.

"When your reinforcements come, you guys had better work real hard." She looked towards Ukai. "If you want to beat everyone in this gym, you're going to have to work on every part of your offense and defense."

As if rising to her challenge, Ukai's own feral grin ripped across his face.

"We plan to."


	30. Promise

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 30: Promise

Kageyama knew that making a grand entrance so late in the day was going to garner them some attention.

He knew it would put a target on their backs, since most of the schools would think Karasuno a bit cocky, to field two idiot first-years who couldn't even pass their final exams. But for some reason, that didn't matter to him.

All that mattered to Kageyama was that he would get onto the court and become the pillar that Karasuno, no doubt, needed in order to grow even more.

As the doors opened, all of the eyes in the gym turned to stare at them. They had just barely managed to change into their practice attire, and were now panting as they'd run up the hill to the back of Nekoma High School to join their team. Inside the gym, there were so many new faces that it was like entering a new world, filled with just the best players in Japan.

Kageyama laid his eyes on Aika, and he grinned at her. He subtly lifted his hand in a thumbs up to her, a gesture which she returned.

He felt his heart leap in his chest, and he ran to join the team.

"Sorry we're so late," he and Hinata apologized.

Sugawara was the first to react. "Don't mind, it's fine. Let's just show them our full power, shall we?" He held out two yellow practice jerseys, with the numbers nine and ten on them, which he'd reserved just for the first-year duo.

"Thank you very much!"

* * *

Aika couldn't help but grin as the game against Shinzen began.

They'd severely underestimated Karasuno, since they'd only seen Karasuno without their secret weapon, the powerful decoy, and the pillar of the team, the genius setter. Now that the first-year duo was on the court, Karasuno managed to take a game.

"It's the first time you guys won today," she murmured, handing Shoyo and Kageyama towels. "They're going to work you hard here. Your freak quick is going to help, but it's not going to be enough to stop them."

She immediately turned away, wheeling off towards Nekoma's court.

She saw Lev slouching as the ball returned to the server, and she couldn't help it when she screeched, "Lev! Stand up straight, you idiot! No one's going to respect someone who can't even block a ball and slouches whenever he gets the chance!"

The silver-haired cat pouted as he looked back at her, his green eyes piercing. "I just wanted to take a quick break," he whined.

"If you want a break, then I'll have coach put in Inuoka! Is that what you want, stupid?!"

Lev pouted even more, but he proceeded to listen to her, standing up straight and preparing for the next play of the game. She rolled her eyes, continuing to wheel herself towards the Nekoma kids who sat on the sidelines cheering for their team.

"How's it going over here?" she asked, looking to Shibayama.

The small libero grinned. "It looks like we'll be taking this set, thanks to our great team!" he announced happily. "I heard you yelling at Lev a few seconds ago."

She sighed. "He's just an idiot." She paused. "This is the last game, right? Have you boys decided who you're rooming with?" she asked, looking towards her friends.

"I'm going to room with Inuoka and Kenma," Shibayama replied. "You're going to be staying in your own room, right?"

Aika nodded. "My brother and I are taking the nurse's office. I need a bed that's off the floor, 'cause of my leg, so I'll be there. Unfortunately," she grumbled, "us girls are also in charge of feeding you morons. So I've also got to get up early to help cook."

"Well, you help Kenma's mom. Or… so he says. You can't be terrible."

She hummed, not knowing what to say. "Well, I'm not awful. But I'm not the best cook, either. I'll probably just be in charge of serving, considering I don't know my way around the kitchen."

Just as Shibayama was going to say something, a loud voice, almost as loud as Lev, echoed across the gym. "Hey, Yamada, come over here! I need help with something!" shouted the captain of Fukurodani.

He stuck out with his owl-hair, and he was all the way at the other end of the gym. She bit her lip, somewhat irritated by the sheer idiocy he displayed in just those words. She liked Bokuto, considering he was pretty smart when it came to volleyball, but he was kind of an idiot in every other regard.

"Idiot… I can't stand him ordering me around," she grumbled as she tried to turn her wheelchair.

A pair of hands came to rest on handles of the chair behind her, and she looked up to see Kageyama staring down at her with his dark eyes. "Just relax. I'll get you where you need to be."

She couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Kageyama. Bokuto's probably just going to ask me some stupid questions about some things I saw today. He's always doing that, whenever I see him. I kind of understand why he and Tetsu are friends, considering they're both kind of stupid like that."

Kageyama pushed her wheelchair slowly as he asked, "So, you know him well?"

"Sort of," she replied softly. "Tetsu is good friends with Bokuto, so they drag me, Kenma, and Akaashi to get dinner with them. Although, we'd agree anyways, considering they're liable to destroy something if left to their own devices."

"They sound like a handful." Kageyama grimaced, knowing just what kind of people they were.

She laughed, and he couldn't help but smile down at her as best he could. "Yeah, they are. But they're good people, and really good volleyball players. You guys are going to learn a lot here." She paused, looking down at her lap, causing Kageyama to gaze at her curiously.

"Something the matter?" he asked gently.

She shook her head, her short hair whipping around her face. She was turning red, and Kageyama had to stop himself from blushing at the sight of _her_ blush. "Nothing's wrong, I promise. I just… I'm… I'm really glad you guys made it." She offered him a happy look as she reached back to touch his arm. "I missed all of you a lot."

Kageyama felt his heart lurch in his chest. "I missed you, too."

* * *

Sugawara paused, seeing that Kageyama and Aika were chatting again, both of them looking more content than he'd ever seen them. In fact, if he had to be completely honest, Kageyama, in that moment, looked like he would love it if he could stay right there forever.

It was clear to Sugawara that Kageyama was slowly accepting how he felt about the girl in the wheelchair below him, and he was beginning to see that the two were both letting each other into their worlds, the ones that were closed off to most other people.

He sighed, knowing that it wouldn't do him any good to dwell on his feelings, but also knowing that he didn't want to give up just yet.

 _Maybe Daichi's right. Maybe she's meant for me, and not for Kageyama._

Again, he paused, looking somewhat sadly at the two as they crossed the court.

 _Then again, maybe not. They're alone right now, even though we're all here with them._

* * *

Yaku was also watching, a small smile on his face as he watched Aika become as comfortable with the boy who was pushing her wheelchair as she was with Kenma and Kuroo. She was rarely that relaxed around anyone else, but to see her like that now, it was like she was actually beginning to act like a girl her age should act.

She was blushing and stuttering, something Yaku had never seen her do.

 _Is this the guy she likes? It has to be. She doesn't act differently around anyone else._

* * *

Shin, meanwhile, was watching from his place above the courts with Saeko.

"I knew that kid was going to be good for my sister." He could feel Saeko looking at him with a confused expression, the one she always had whenever he said something she didn't quite understand. "Kageyama, I mean. Hinata… he was a great start for her. He pulled her out of her depression and gave her a way to fall in love with volleyball again. I'll always be grateful to him for what he's done for her."

Saeko hummed, looking down to where the girl with Shin's hair color was being pushed around by Kageyama, who she'd come to see as another little brother during the long car ride together. To her, they looked like a cute couple who were just coming to terms with the fact that they were a couple.

"Are Kageyama and Aika together?" she asked.

Although Shin chuckled, he shook his head. "No, but I know when a guy likes my little sister. See, it's difficult to let her go, but she's growing up. She might be my one and only, but she needs more than I can give her in order to truly learn to fly." He put his hands in his pockets, a grin taking over his face.

Saeko grinned up at him, seeing the pure happiness on his face. "So poetic," she droned, unable to resist teasing him.

"S-shut up!"

* * *

The training camp had really kicked off by the next day, with Karasuno finally on the board.

Now, there was thick tension between all of the teams who were scrambling for victories, pushing themselves to the limits of their bodies as they played their hardest. She watched all of them, making notes on every last new thing she saw.

Top tier teams were incredibly interesting, now that she got to see them up close.

Seeing Karasuno next to them made her realize just how much they still had to learn.

There were many types of opponents on the courts, some of which Karasuno hadn't had to face yet. They hadn't faced anyone like Lev just yet, who was so naturally gifted thanks to his height and high amount of game sense. They hadn't faced someone like Bokuto, whose spikes were so tightly linked to his emotions that they were like a part of him. They hadn't faced Nekoma or Fukurodani at their fullest, and hadn't even begun to experience the amount of power each team had.

"There's a lot of work still left to do," she murmured to herself, tapping her pen against her chin with a knowing look on her face. Her other hand was curled around the pages of her notebook, the entire thing nearly filled from just the first two days of the training camp.

 _Each team here is a great team, but even though they're all top tier, each of them failed to make the Interhigh Preliminaries. Even in Nekoma, even with Kenma and Tetsu and Lev and Yaku, we failed._

 _We're all trying to improve._

* * *

It wasn't that he was irritated that Hinata wanted so badly to do his own thing, to work hard on something that he was good at, rather than relying on Kageyama's skill all the time. It wasn't that he didn't believe Hinata was talented, considering he'd improved so much in just the past two months.

It was that he didn't like not being needed.

He wasn't used to having someone so fully able to receive his tosses, to spike them and earn points off of a ball he tossed. It'd been called the "King's Toss" for so long that he thought he'd never have to use it again.

But he'd been wrong, and Hinata had proved him differently.

" _With me around, you're the greatest!"_

It felt like so long ago that he'd yelled that at Hinata in front of everyone.

" _Thanks to this guy, I can see the other side of the court!"_

It felt like it'd been a thousand years since Hinata had said that.

" _The freak-quick is going to be hard for them to counter."_

Even though he heard that all the time, it still felt so _right._ It made Kageyama feel like he was invincible for once.

But he wasn't.

He was far from invincible, far from unbeatable. He was simply the support of the team, the pillar of Karasuno. All he could do was set things up and hope that the pieces fell into their places, hope that things would work out for him and for the team.

Right now, they weren't working whatsoever.

Against Nekoma, against that newbie, Lev, the quick worked for a while. It earned Karasuno a decent amount of points, until Lev's miraculous height put an end to both Hinata's plays as a spiker and as a decoy. That was when the dam broke.

The ball had gone up off of a chance ball from Sawamura, right towards where Azumane was already standing. But as Azumane – as the ace – leapt for the ball, so did Hinata.

He had tried to fly for a ball that wasn't his.

And immediately afterwards, he'd declared, "I'm going to stop closing my eyes."

It was a real shock to everyone, as they all became quick to sit on the edges of their seats, waiting for the time that Hinata's brightness would swallow them up.

* * *

Nekoma took the game, 25-18.

As they stood from their flying receives, Kageyama looked towards Aika, who was sitting on Nekoma's side for that particular game, watching with an unreadable expression on her face. She leaned back in her wheelchair and beckoned someone from Nekoma over.

The rooster-haired captain was the one to respond, rushing over to her as she called for him.

"The fact that Azumane senpai and Shoyo bumped into each other caused the tension. There was no way Nekoma could have lost," she droned blankly. "I don't suppose that you heard what their conversation was about."

Although her voice was quiet, he still managed to hear her as she spoke. In response, the captain nodded. "I think they might need you more than we do, Ai. They're falling apart at the seams over there."

"I know," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I can see it."

She looked towards Kageyama, meeting his gaze. With her hand, she gestured him to come to her. Slowly, he moved towards Nekoma's side of the net, facing the wheelchair-bound Aika. She smiled up at him, and he immediately knew what she was asking of him. He moved around her, grabbing onto the handles of her wheelchair, and gently pushed her towards Karasuno's side.

Although she was silent as he pushed her, she had him stop in front of the players. "Shoyo," she called, her voice soft.

Hinata flinched, hearing her tone. He looked up at her, and the tension in his shoulders increased at seeing her face. "Y-yeah?" he asked, tripping over a single word.

"Remember what I told you about Icarus?"

He paused for a moment, then nodded. "The guy with the wax wings, right? He flew too close to the sun, and he fell into the ocean and died. He was too confident in his own abilities." The rest of Karasuno stared at him, somewhat shocked at his knowledge of the story.

Aika frowned. "You're becoming Karasuno's Icarus. Do what you can, but don't try to push yourself."

He nodded, hanging his head at the few words she'd left him with.

Kageyama watched as she moved on, speaking quietly to Azumane, who was nodding along with her, agreeing with whatever it was that she was saying. He looked back to Hinata, whose hands were curled into fists.

 _We all have to do more, isn't that right?_

* * *

 _Notes:_

 _I'm sorry, I totally got busy and forgot about everything else. I don't like getting too personal  
(you're here for a story, not for the author), but some personal things happened, and my health took a sharp decline.  
I promise that I'm back for good now. Thank you to all the new people who came to read this story._

 _We're currently the most popular Kageyama/OC story, or so my friend tells me, despite there being so few.  
Thank you for this. It really makes me happy to hear my writing being well received._

 _I posted a new story for a new series, called **Bloody Sunday** , focusing on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.  
I highly recommend the show itself - it's more than the memes may lead you to believe.  
If you're interested, please take a look. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!_

 _Love,_

 _Chiyuki._


	31. Emotions

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 31: Emotions

"It's only halfway through the second day of training, Tetsu," Aika grumbled as she wrapped a bandage around her friend's right shoulder, unflinching as her fingers brushed against his skin. "How did you already manage to hurt your shoulder like this?"

Kuroo winced as she pulled the bandage tighter. "Not sure, honestly. I think fell on it, but it didn't start hurting until after the game," he admitted, rolling his wrist, as if he was ensuring that it wasn't also injured.

Sighing, she gently finished wrapping him up. "You're lucky that I at least know how to bandage things up. There's no school nurse here to fix you if you get hurt." She leaned forward, looking curiously up at the rooster-head. "Something wrong? You look tired."

There were light shadows under the Nekoma captain's eyes, his entire posture slouched as he sat on the cot next to Aika, her hands massaging his injured shoulder. "Just something you mentioned earlier. It's kind of been bothering me." He turned to her, his eyes glittering with a mischievous curiosity. "Are you sure you don't like Kageyama? You were bright red when you were talking to him earlier today."

For a moment, Aika froze. She let her hand fall from the bandage, resting on her lap as she silently stared at them. Kuroo watched her in concern, unsure of whether or not his words had hurt her feelings somehow. He could see her hands shaking a little. Frowning, he looked up to where she was red-faced, biting her lip in hesitation.

"I won't be mad if you do like someone. You've never shown any interest in anyone before… so I'm just a little surprised. But if you like this guy, I'll support you." Reaching up with his uninjured arm, he rested a hand on her head, running his fingers through her short hair. As she looked up at him, he grinned his Cheshire smile. "I'll only be mad if this guy you like doesn't treat you like the Princess you are."

Through her read face, she laughed a little. "Yeah…" Trailing off, she looked at the door to the Nurse's Office, hesitating for a moment. "There _is_ a guy I like. He's always nice to me, and he's helped me out a lot. We don't talk as much as we did when I was at Karasuno, but I… I was really happy to see him today."

Kuroo frowned. "And you're not saying that it's not Kageyama?" he asked, prodding her for a name.

She shook her head aggressively, her short hair flying around her face. "N-no! It's not Kageyama." She bit her lip again. "I like Sugawara senpai," she finally choked out, managing to admit the name to Kuroo.

"Really? That vice-captain of yours?" To say that the Nekoma captain was surprised was an understatement. He wasn't really expecting to hear that Aika liked Sugawara. "What's so great about him?"

Flushing, Aika paused. "He's always patient, and he listens to everyone. He's kind and trustworthy, and all of the boys look up to him. He's like a mom, and I really love spending time with him."

There was a pause, in which Kuroo sighed. "If you like him that much, then why don't you tell him? It's not like you to hold back when there's something you want." He looked to Aika, who was now stretching out her leg as she reached for her bag.

She hummed in response as she pulled several different notebooks and a pen out of her bag, flipping one of the notebooks open lazily. "It's not that I'm holding back… it's more like, I'm unsure. Suga senpai is graduating in less than a year," she admitted, leafing through the notebook pages.

"So?"

She looked at Kuroo in exasperation, letting her hand rest on her notebook. "He's probably smart enough to go to some big school in Tokyo, or even go overseas if he wanted. But he's also the type of person to stay close to home if something kept him. I don't want to be what keeps him from his future." She shook her head, returning to her book.

Kuroo watched her in both amusement and sadness. "I guess that makes more sense, knowing you. I wish you didn't always put others first," he murmured.

"I don't. I'm selfish," she replied easily, a self-deprecating smile tugging at her lips. "I dumped all of my hopes on Shoyo, and I promised him I'd help him reach the top, but when he showed signs of maturing without me, I got scared. I ran away at first, because I didn't want to get hurt. But I came back because I missed it too much – volleyball, I mean. And I stayed because I found people I could trust."

Still watching his younger friend, he shook his head. "But you gave Hinata hope that he could become the best. You gave him a push, then you came back when he needed you, and you dedicated yourself to helping Karasuno become better than they already were. I'm sure that they're all grateful for your so-called selfish decision to stay." He paused. "I'm also glad that you stayed with them. I was able to see you again," he muttered.

Aika, eyes wide, glanced at him. "Tetsu…" she muttered. His only reply was to smile gently at her, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

"Don't worry, Ai. Even if you don't think that you deserve it, I don't think anyone would blame you for loving someone. How can they? You can't stop liking someone. That's not how it works."

All she could do was stare up at him, wondering just when her friend, childish by nature, had become so mature. She couldn't help it as she asked, "Did you love someone?" only to pale as Kuroo sighed wistfully, looking towards the door.

"Yeah," he finally replied. "There's someone I love. But I'm not sure I'll ever tell 'em. I'm sure I'd get rejected." He laughed sadly, his eyes glittering with something akin to defeat.

"Hypocrite." His eyes moved back to Aika, who was glaring at him. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, looking disappointed for some reason. "You can't tell me to be selfish for once if you're not going to do it, either. No one can blame you for loving someone, right?"

For a second, Kuroo was silent. Then, he couldn't help but laugh, life returning to his dark, mischievous eyes as they twinkled with mirth. He grinned his lopsided grin, the one that always made him look like he was up to something, even if he wasn't. His smile – his real smile, the one he only showed to those he truly cared about – just looked like that.

"You're right."

* * *

As Kuroo stepped out of the nurse's office, rolling his injured shoulder gently, he saw a figure who was leaning against the wall next to the office doors. Shin looked up from where he was standing, not uncrossing his arms, a solemn frown on his face.

Kuroo's eyes widened as he faced Shin, but he quickly hid his surprise with a laugh. "You heard?" he asked, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants.

Nodding wordlessly, Shin shuffled his feet. Gears were turning in his head, his mouth opening and closing as he attempted to find words. He looked like a fish as he avoided Kuroo's gaze, instead staring at the floor, like the tiles were the most interesting things in the world. His shoulders were practically raised to his ears in tension.

"It's like she grew up right in front of you, isn't it?" the captain asked jokingly. "It seems like yesterday that all she wanted was to be a setter, but now she's all grown up. She likes boys and everything now."

"Tetsuro—"

Kuroo quickly interrupted Shin. "I mean, I was even sure that it was that Kageyama kid she had a thing for. I didn't expect her to fall for someone as old as her older brother," he babbled, words tumbling from his lips before he could stop himself.

"Tetsuro, let me—"

"I don't know how you do it, man. It's been something like eight years, but that feeling doesn't go away, does it?"

"Tetsuro!"

Freezing mid sentence, Kuroo stared at Shin, who was biting his lip. His hands, which he'd been waving wildly as he practically yelled at his friend, fell limply to his side. His legs shook, his feet ready to bolt within seconds.

Shin looked up at him for the first time. "I heard everything."

Panic settled into Kuroo's stomach. He quickly flipped open his phone in his pocket, forcing it to buzz, as if he was getting a text message. Closing it, he pulled it out and flipped it open, making a surprised face as he did. "Sorry, Shin, can we have this conversation another time? I'm needed for… captain things." He didn't wait for an answer as he shoved his phone back in his pocket, his feet already carrying him past the burgundy-haired male.

"Tetsuro, wait."

Kuroo didn't wait. "You're here all summer, right? We'll catch up sooner or later," he promised, although he had no intention of keeping his word.

All he wanted was to get away from Shin as soon as possible. Seeing his face was too painful, even for Kuroo, who was used to tormenting and provoking other people.

 _Sorry, Shin. I just don't want to hear it… I don't think I could take it._

* * *

" _If you like him that much, then why don't you tell him?"_

Aika shook her head as she pushed her wheelchair down the hallway. She sighed as she rolled to a stop, her hands hovering over the wheels as she hung her head, her hair falling in her face. Staring down at her lap, finding her sweatpants much more interesting than she should have, she couldn't help but feeling the well of emotions in her heart overflowing, spilling out to show on her face.

"Aika." She looked up, her hair flying as she flushed red, the familiar voice causing her heart to leap. Sugawara smiled down at her, resting a hand on one of the handles of her wheelchair. "What are you doing in the middle of the hall?"

Hesitant, she looked down again, trying to force the red to recede. "I was just… thinking," she admitted slowly, her words hesitant.

"Is it about Hinata and Kageyama?" Sugawara, genuinely curious, peered down at her. He could see her hands curling into fists, and he frowned, knowing how negatively the two fighting could truly affect her, having been the one to help bring them closer together.

She shook her head, her hair swinging around her face. "It's not that… I know they'll be fine. They just have to grow a little more. I… I can't baby them forever. I have to start growing up, too," she muttered, clenching her fists even tighter. As she looked up at Sugawara, she could feel a sudden burst of courage rise in her chest. "Suga senpai, I—"

"Ah, Tsukishima!" he suddenly called out, something akin to relief in his voice.

As soon as he cut her off, any courage that she'd managed to muster had been smothered, flattened until it was too small to remain in existence.

Her hands began to shake as the blond middle blocker casually strolled up to the two. "Will you bring Aika to the courts? I need to find Daichi. We've only got two matches until we leave." Aika's eyes widened in realization.

 _That's right… the weekend's over. They're going home today… and I won't be going with them._

Tsukishima nodded to Sugawara, who slowly moved away, not glancing back at Aika, even though she watched as he left. She could feel a pang in her chest as he turned the corner, berating herself for her cowardice.

"You like him, don't you?" droned Tsukishima, his voice low and soft. It managed to keep its sharp edge, but his tone was much gentler than he had ever been towards her before. "I can see it in your eyes. You don't hide it as well as you think you do."

Aika's entire body shook, biting her lip to bite back the retort that was trying to escape. "So what?" she demanded, glaring back at him.

The middle blocker said nothing. He simply began pushing Aika's wheelchair towards the gym. Surprised by his lack of insults, she stared at him. There was no easy way to read Tsukishima, which was something she'd learned quickly in working with him.

But there was something different about his eyes this time.

She couldn't quite tell what it was as she looked away, but it was something different.

As they neared the gym doors, Tsukishima slowed, the wheels quietly halting as he stopped walking. She once again looked towards the tall blond, seeing something that looked like sympathy in his eyes. Moving around her wheelchair, he stood right in front of her, blocking her view of the gym doors. He stared down at her, his golden eyes meeting her dark brown ones, surprising her with the depth he showed.

"You can be sad," he finally said. "It's okay to be upset when your confession doesn't go as planned."

It was like his words triggered a floodgate in Aika.

Slowly but surely, tears began to stream down her face. "W-wha…" she managed, wiping them away desperately with the sleeves of her Karasuno jacket.

"It's okay."

At that, she allowed herself a hiccup, the tears coming faster.

Tsukishima watched silently as the girl in the wheelchair began to sob silently, her shoulders shaking. He didn't move a muscle, continuing to stand right in front of her, blocking her from the view of anyone who may have emerged from the gym.

For some reason, that tiny action was oddly comforting to her.

* * *

As soon as Sugawara turned the corner, fleeing from where he'd left Tsukishima to take Aika towards the gym, he pressed himself against the wall. He sighed heavily, letting his head fall as he pressed a hand to his chest. He could feel his pulse beginning to slow as he leaned against the hallway wall, taking deep, slow breaths.

"Suga."

He looked up to see Daichi standing in front of him, a frown on his face. The captain, who was usually quite relaxed around Suga, looked rather stern. He almost looked disappointed, if Suga had to identify the emotion across his face.

Plastering a smile on his face, Sugawara asked, "What's up?"

Daichi's frown only grew deeper as he took in the smile that Sugawara was clearly faking. "You knew exactly what she was about to say back there, right? Why didn't you let her finish?" he demanded, crossing his arms with a stern glare.

For a moment, Sugawara looked shocked. Then, he hung his head again, his silver hair obscuring his face, hiding his eyes as his vision began to blur. "I knew." His voice was low, but Daichi could make it out. "You saw it too, right, Daichi? The way Kageyama looks at her?" His tone suddenly shook as he grasped the fabric over his chest.

"What does Kageyama have to do with you and Aika?"

"Everything." He smiled sadly at his friend, fighting back his own emotions. "He looks at her like she's the only person in the world. And she looks right back at him, like she knows exactly who he is. Even if she thinks that she has feelings for me, I can see otherwise. But Aika… either she can't or she just doesn't want to."

"And?" Daichi retorted.

Sugawara shook his head, his smile turning bitter. "They're slow, but both of them will realize it soon enough. Sometimes, the person you like first isn't the person you're meant to be with. No matter how much you want them to be."

* * *

 _First things first: Yes, I did decide to make Kuroo gay.  
I honestly do love certain Haikyu! pairings, and Kuroo being gay always struck me as right.  
I also modeled Kuroo after one of my best friends, who has always been there for me, so I'm very excited to see where this goes.  
_

 _As for Sugawara and Aika, there have been very large hints, but again, they are **not** the endgame pairing.  
This is a Kageyama/Aika story. Kageyama and Aika will end up together. Even if it's not clear how just yet.  
_

 _I hope that this chapter isn't weird for everyone. I know that in most fanfiction, it's one pairing and one pairing alone.  
But the thing is, love doesn't work like that. I wanted to make this as real as possible, which meant real emotions grounded in real situations.  
Very rarely does anyone end up with the first person they fall in love with. So, I think that it's a good stepping stone for a lot of the characters.  
_

 _Which brings me to my final point. Aika's emotions. I didn't want to have to defend her, but I got a message a while back about her earlier behavior.  
This reviewer believed that Aika was not justified in being angry at Azumane for quitting while he was still physically well.  
And that's the thing: she's not. She's very wrong in a lot of emotional situations. She butts in at bad times and pushes her feelings onto others.  
She holds her bitterness in and lashes out at others with it. That isn't healthy and isn't justified.  
But she's learning to let go of her anger and bitterness, and she understands now that being angry at others is stupid and childish.  
I hope that you all come to understand where she's coming from._

 _Thanks,_

 _Chiyuki._


	32. Crush

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 32: Crush

She hadn't smiled since she had returned from the nurse's office. She seemed almost lifeless as Tsukishima pushed her wheelchair into the gym. Red was rimming her eyes, her face stained with tear tracks, despite how much it looked like she tried to hide them from the rest of the court.

At first, Kageyama wanted to rush forwards, demanding what the beanpole had done to her to hurt her feelings so badly. He wanted to ignore the game that was about to start, even if it meant losing.

But the other beanpole – the one with silver hair from Nekoma – beat him to it.

"Ai-chi!" he shouted, bounding forwards. His loud voice had garnered the attention of the rest of the gym, who were all staring at the gym doors, where Lev had knelt down in front of Aika's wheelchair, his legs just long enough so he could look her in the eye. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

She just shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. From where he was standing, Kageyama could make out evidence of tears forming at the corners of her eyes, threatening to roll down her face.

His own eyes widened and he nearly gasped. Although he'd seen Aika upset before, seen her in the aftermath of an emotional moment for her, he'd never seen her cry. She'd always pulled herself away from people when she cried. She'd always come back when she had composed herself, her face showing her sadness, but also showing that she was in control of herself.

Tsukishima dropped his hands from her wheelchair, gently saying something to her in a voice so low that only she could hear it. She blinked in confusion, but nodded. For some reason, he looked satisfied as he walked back towards the court.

"Tsukishima," Kageyama heard himself calling out. The beanpole turned to him, a bored look on his face. "Did something happen to her?"

Pursing his lips, Tsukishima's eyes narrowed. Looking down at the setter, whose eyes were glistening with worry, he snapped, "Go ask her yourself, idiot."

He wanted to.

But for some reason, Kageyama couldn't move.

He was, instead, frozen in place as tears began to fall from Aika's eyes. She didn't sob or anything. All she did was reach out for Lev, wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her face into his shoulder.

Feeling his own chest struck with pain, Kageyama frowned. He lifted a hand, pressing it against his racing heart, and turned away. He didn't need to see Aika in the arms of some other guy, wrapped up as she cried as quietly as she could.

"She never does this," he heard Hinata mutter to Yamaguchi, who was worriedly watching. The usually sunny boy was staring at his friend, shocked. "She doesn't cry in front of people. She hates it when people see her. Something… something really bad must have happened to her." Kageyama could see Hinata's hands curled into fists at the mere prospect of something, anything, hurting Aika so badly that she began to cry in front of everyone.

Kageyama, knowing that she wouldn't want anyone else seeing, kept his back turned.

But looking away from her didn't stop his heart from hurting.

* * *

Tsukishima watched as emotions clashed on the King's face. There was anger and jealousy, but also worry and sadness. All of those feelings were twisting on his face, reflecting in the way he glared at the scene, but also in the sad way his lips turned downwards.

It wasn't that Tsukishima cared, necessarily. It was just that he didn't like the way the usually composed girl was so shaken by the way her crush had so swiftly crushed her confession before it even left her lips.

" _We're in the same class, right? And we're on the same team. I thought that was enough to make us friends."_

She'd openly called both Tsukishima and Yamaguchi her friends, only a few days before she'd been transferred out for her surgery. He'd never asked for her phone number or email, and he'd never asked Hinata or Kageyama how she'd been doing (although, he didn't have to).

But there was no one else around to see her face fall, to see the façade of strength begin to crack.

Tsukishima wasn't stupid. He was just tired of other people being too dumb to recognize their own feelings.

The girl had finally realized her own emotions and had wanted to do something about them. Sugawara didn't give her a chance, but the hurt in his eyes as he called Tsukishima over to push her wheelchair was evident. And now, the way the King watched her told him everything he needed to know.

 _Stupid…_ he groaned internally. _If you like her, don't just stand there like a dumbass. Go comfort her._

* * *

"Just for now," she whispered against Lev's shoulder. "This doesn't mean anything."

Even as tears leaked through his shirt, Lev only laughed quietly. "I know it doesn't. I'm just glad I can help you." His arms wrapped around her as she continued to cry.

"Thank you…"

* * *

Shin sighed as he pulled his luggage from the back of Saeko's car. He slung his backpack over his shoulder as he pulled the handle up to roll the bag inside.

"You're sure about this?" she asked him, crossing her arms with a small frown. "From what you told me, it might be awkward if you stay…"

Shaking his head, he smiled back at his friend and superior. "I haven't been back in eight years. Of course it'd be awkward coming back like this. But… I have to stay. For Aika." He shifted, pulling his rolling bag with him.

"Even with that thing you told me about? With that one boy?" Saeko wondered, her frown growing deeper. Every part of her showed concern for the younger boy.

For a moment, Shin looked slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah… I tried to talk to him about that. It didn't go that well." He smiled sheepishly, ruffling his hair. "As soon as I said something to him, he made some sort of excuse and… well, he ran." Sighing, he let his hand fall back to his side. "I don't know how to make him face me," he muttered.

Grinning, the older of the two punched his shoulder as gently as she could. He yelped, signifying that her "gentle" punch wasn't so gentle after all. As he rubbed his aching shoulder, he looked up to see her grinning widely.

"You just tell him straight! You don't need to mince words, do you?!" She looked up at her friend, her smile growing a bit softer as she did. "After all, he never heard what you said before you left, right? If you say it loudly enough, he'll have to listen!"

Shin simply stared at the boisterous woman, her words taking a few moments to really sink in. As they did, he could only smile right back. "Yeah… I think that'll work," he admitted, sheepishly running a hand through his hair.

Saeko's grin only grew, although her eyes seemed to soften.

* * *

Kageyama couldn't take his eyes off of Aika, who was sitting in her wheelchair, talking with Azumane and Nishinoya. She was smiling as she spoke, but that smile didn't quite meet her eyes. She seemed to wince whenever Sugawara emerged from the bus with Tanaka.

As Kageyama gathered some of the bags filled with gear to bring on the bus, a shadow moved to loom over him. He turned his head to see the silver-haired Nekoma player – his name was Lev Haiba, if he remembered correctly – smiling down at him.

"You're Tobio Kageyama, right?" he asked lightly.

Nodding, he slung his bag over his shoulder, turning his entire body around to face the taller boy. "What about it?" he asked casually, purposefully looking at the other boy with something akin to disdain.

Laughing a little, Lev sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "Oh, I just wanted to say hello before you left. I wanted to see the person that Ai-chi talks about all the time." Kageyama felt himself flushing at the other boy's words. "Yeah, she's constantly using you and Hinata as examples, like, 'Kageyama would spike that cleaner than you, and he's a setter!' or 'Even Shoyo wouldn't fumble a receive that badly!'" He laughed once more, his cat like eyes scrunched up. "You can tell how much she admires you two."

Kageyama chanced a look over to Aika, who was quietly talking with Yachi, as he fought his blush.

Lev's jade green eyes, the ones that looked almost as cat-like as Kenma's, watched the colors and emotions swirl on Kageyama's face. He couldn't help the almost sad smile that came over his face as he stood up straight, standing at his fullest height.

"Hey." As Kageyama turned to face him, the setter couldn't help the surprise at seeing how serious Lev looked. "You like Ai-chi, too, right?"

The only response Kageyama could form was to sputter incoherently as his mind desperately fished for the words he needed to respond. There was nothing he could say. He didn't want to deny it and lie about his feelings, but he also felt that there was absolutely no reason for him to have to tell someone on a rival team. Especially not Lev.

"She's a great teacher in volleyball, but she's kind of dense when it comes to everything else." Lev ignored the sputtering Kageyama in front of him and kept speaking, his eyes twinkling with affection for the girl he spoke of. "Especially her own feelings. That's why I keep asking her out. I knew there was no other way than to tell her directly." Lev only laughed a bit more at this. "She turned me down every time. At first, I thought it was because she was playing hard-to-get. But when you guys came, I realized that she was turning me down because she actually had feelings for someone else."

"What?" Kageyama couldn't help but blurt this as he stared, wide-eyed, at Aika, who was now talking lowly with Tsukishima. "She… she does?"

A gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder. He looked up to see Lev smiling back down at him, all traces of seriousness gone from his face. "Anyone can tell you like her. Except maybe Ai-chi. You should tell her, you know. Before someone else snatches her away from you," he advised with a knowing grin.

Turning back to stare at the girl with wine-red hair, Kageyama's gaze softened.

* * *

"Yachi."

The petite blonde whirled around, shocked, as Aika wheeled up to her. "Y-yes?!" she squeaked loudly, her voice coming out much more nervous than she should've felt.

Aika couldn't help the laugh that escaped her; Yachi was just adorable. "I didn't get much of a chance to talk to you this weekend. I think both of us were a bit busy babysitting the boys." She gestured to where Bokuto was laughing boisterously with Azumane, who looked slightly overwhelmed by his loud personality. "So, I thought I'd give you my phone number and email. It'll give both of us someone our age to talk to when the boys get to be a bit much to handle."

"A-ah! Yes! I'd like that very much!" A blush spread across Yachi's face as the two girls fished their phones out, Yachi fumbling with hers for a moment, and the two exchanged contact information. "I'll message you as often as I can with updates! I'm sure you want to know everything!"

Nodding, Aika smiled softly. "I'd be really grateful for updates over the next week. Thanks for looking out for Shoyo, and I'm glad you've decided to stick around," she admitted quietly.

Yachi's entire face turned a bright scarlet as she clutched her pink phone. She stared at Aika, coming to realize why Hinata spoke so highly of the girl. Even though Yachi hadn't had the chance to speak to Aika that much over the weekend, she could understand why everyone missed her so much.

"Oi." Both girls turned to see Tsukishima standing a ways away, hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I need to talk to you."

Aika looked back towards Yachi, who nodded. "Okay. Sorry, Yachi, but we'll continue talking soon. I'd like to make more female friends. It'd be nice to talk about something other than volleyball for once," she joked.

Unable to help herself, the red-faced girl let out a small giggle. "Although, I'm sure we'll end up talking about volleyball anyways."

"You're probably right," Aika agreed, her eyes filled with mirth as she did. "Let's talk soon, okay?" Yachi nodded happily, a grin on her pale face, and bounded away. Both Aika and Tsukishima watched her go, one in amusement, one without any visible emotion.

Aika's attention was quickly drawn back to Tsukishima when he shoved something in her face. She stared at his outstretched hand, his fingers wrapped around his phone, as he looked anywhere but at her. "Here," he grumbled.

Slowly, she took the phone from him. "What do you want me to do with this?" she asked quietly.

He gave her a look that clearly read _are you an idiot?_ Rolling his eyes and mumbling something under his breath, he stared down at her. "You put your phone number and email in. What else would you do with a cell phone?"

"But why?"

Sighing, Tsukishima pursed his lips. "No one else here knows why you were crying earlier. I figured it'd be easier to talk to someone who knows rather than attempt to explain. Besides," he looked down at her, an almost warm gleam in his eyes, "I know that anyone else you told would take sides. I won't give you an opinion unless you ask for it. Just use me to talk at when you're feeling down."

Overwhelmed by a sort of affection for the usually stoic beanpole, Aika handed him back his phone with a weak smile. "You don't have to do this for me," she muttered as he took his phone.

"I want to." His reply was so quiet that she could barely hear it, but if she looked closely, she could see the light dusting of red covering his face. "You did a lot for us. This is the least that we – that I – can do for you."

Aika couldn't help how her smile widened as she reached up to grasp Tsukishima's hand. "You're a good friend, Tsukishima. Thank you for being there for me."

He didn't reply. He simply squeezed her hand, the pressure so light that it was barely there.

* * *

The ride back to Miyagi was, to say the least, awkward.

No one knew what to say. Everyone was absorbed in their own thoughts, their own problems that had arose during the two days of the miniature training camp. No one had left Tokyo without a weight on their shoulders and a worry on their minds. It was like the training camp had taken the things that Karasuno had wanted to face and forced them to the center of their worlds.

For some, these worries were greater than others.

The worries of volleyball, of not being good enough, could be easily mended with time and dedication, both of which the young crows had in spades. That was what they were going to the training camp for – to become better than they were.

But for some, two days together had irreversibly altered relationships forever.

As Kageyama stared out the window, watching Tokyo disappear, fading into an unfamiliar scene, he wondered who it was that Aika liked. She'd burst into tears only a few hours before the bus departed, shocking everyone in the gym. The boy she liked had hurt her like that.

" _Anyone can tell you like her."_

He didn't know what liking someone felt like.

Was it supposed to hurt to see her cry? Was it supposed to feel like a flutter when she smiled? Was it supposed to feel like a punch when he realized she liked someone else?

Because if that was what liking someone felt like, then, Kageyama decided, he definitely liked Aika.

That was the only explanation for the things he was feeling. It was like the adrenaline of a volleyball game, but somehow, it was different. It was a gentler sort of adrenaline, something that didn't disappear with the moment, but instead, settled into his body, taking permanent residence in his heart.

Kageyama's fingers tugged at the hem of his sweatshirt.

 _I guess this is what it feels like,_ he thought to himself. _I like Aika. This is what it feels like to like her._

* * *

From his seat across the aisle, Sugawara, the only one on the bus who wasn't lost in his own thoughts, felt a pain searing his chest, like he was being burned.

He knew the look on Kageyama's face.

It was the same look he had whenever he was around Aika. It was that look that told everyone around him that he was in love with someone. It was the look that was gentle and giving, the one that was so rare to find. It was the look he'd always known that Kageyama was capable of letting show on his face.

Sugawara had always known. That was why he rejected Aika in the first place.

But _dammit_ , it still hurt.


	33. Home

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 33: Home

Kageyama carried his bag off the bus, his eyes darkened as he stared at whatever was in front of him. He didn't look up at anyone else as he tried his best to squeak past his team without looking at or talking to anyone. His earbuds separated him from the noise of the world around him, from the rumbling of the bus to the loud shouting of his team, something for which he was grateful.

He didn't want to have to face anything right now.

It was kind of strange how one weekend had changed everything for him.

He hadn't realized that two days could form such harsh realizations in his own head, could force him to confront his own shortcomings and weaknesses as a setter and as a person. Just two days had taught him more about himself than nearly all of his junior high career had.

They all told him the same thing: _you need to evolve_.

As a volleyball player, as part of Karasuno, and as a human being.

He needed to learn how to understand others just a little bit more in order to fix the things that this past weekend had told him were broken.

* * *

"Shin, you stayed for me?"

He nodded as he pushed her wheelchair along the Tokyo sidewalks, smiling as he watched her play on her phone, informing Hinata of her results from the day's physical therapy. "Of course I did. I was busy working for the past few weeks, so I wasn't even able to come for your surgery. I still feel guilty about it," he admitted.

She couldn't help her smile as she peeked up at him through her bangs. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard of her phone as she looked around, glancing at the city dyed in the golden hues of the sunset. The city seemed the same as it had only years ago, even though things had changed for the siblings. It was a warm, familiar sight.

Blinking, the girl hummed, taking in the familiar scenery around her, a feeling of warm nostalgia washing over her.

"I have a surprise for you," Shin finally spoke up, grinning down at her. As she looked up at him again, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "We're not going to be staying with Kenma for the rest of the summer."

"Wait, what?"

He chuckled at her confusion and panic. "Nope. I didn't want to intrude." He whistled softly, fully aware of his sister's gaze on him. "They've already done so much for us, and I'll always be thankful for that. But I can't ask anything else of them. Housing me would cost too much, and it'd put extra strain on Kenma's family," he explained softly.

Aika frowned. "Where are we staying, then? We're not staying in a hotel or something, are we?" Her eyes widened, and she demanded, "Are we going to stay with Tetsu?!"

Nearly choking on air, Shinji sputtered. "What?! No!" He coughed, forcing himself to calm down with several quick, deep breaths. "No. No, we're not staying with Tetsu. I got us somewhere else to stay, so don't worry."

"Where are we going?" she finally asked.

Shinji just grinned widely. "You'll see."

* * *

"What happened to Aika that made her cry so hard?" Yamaguchi quietly asked his long-time friend as they walked along the streets, pulling their weekend bags with them.

Tsukishima stared straight ahead, a look of hesitation just barely visible on his face. To those who didn't know him as well as Yamaguchi, it would've looked like indifference or boredom, but the freckled boy knew better than that.

"You saw what happened, right?" His voice was soft, almost sad.

"Yeah. It's none of our business, though." The taller boy looked away, like he was trying to avoid his friend's prying eyes. "It's between her and two of our stupid teammates. We shouldn't get involved in their personal business."

Even as he said those words, it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than Yamaguchi.

"Tsukki…"

A sharp look from Tsukishima shut his friend up. "I just happened to be there. I wasn't asking to get wrapped up in it, and I don't want any part in this stuff," he deadpanned, a spark of irritation in his eyes and voice.

The air between the two fell into silence, and Yamaguchi sighed softly, his fist clenching around his bag strap. He looked up to Tsukishima again, only to see him pulling his headphones up and over his head, something he did when he was upset about something or he just wanted time to himself to think about something.

Tsukishima knew what had happened between Aika and someone else on their team. He'd seen one of the many fractures in their fledgling team form, and he couldn't do anything about it. Besides the parties involved, he was the only one to know exactly what happened.

He just didn't know what to do about it.

* * *

" _That quick got blocked today, against Nekoma, and against Seijoh!"_

As Hinata walked home with Yachi, both of them silent after the fight between the orange-haired boy and his setter, he couldn't help the disappointment that was settled in his chest, like a weight on his heart.

" _Are you saying it was because of my toss?!"_

The bandage on his face was just a reminder that he had to get stronger, even if other people didn't support him in his quest to be able to stand on his own. Even if Kageyama wasn't there to perform that quick with him, he could still learn to be strong enough.

" _It was perfect, but that's just it! It still got stopped! If I'm not as good as your toss, it won't work on stronger opponents!"_

The town was eerily silent, save for the clicking of his bike's wheels as he pulled it alongside him. It was like the rest of the world was giving him space to let him remember his words to Kageyama what felt like years ago, but in reality, was probably about an hour prior.

He wasn't wrong in what he said.

He knew that.

He knew he was weaker than Kageyama, than Azumane senpai or Tanaka senpai. He wasn't an ace, and he wasn't good enough to help carry the weight of Karasuno. Not on his own, at least. Since he joined the team, he'd been relying on others to help carry him.

But Hinata couldn't bear to put more weight on his teammates, to perform a quick that would only give points away to teams that were strong enough.

"H-Hinata, my bus stop is just over there, so I'll be fine from here."

Yachi's soft voice broke through the silence of the dreary town. Hinata turned, seeing her face filled with concern, and that weight on his heart settled even further, digging into his chest.

"Yachi, I'm really sorry."

Even though she tried to wave it off, he could still see that she was bothered by the fact that he and Kageyama hadn't made up. She was concerned, especially after one thing that Kageyama had said, one thing that had nearly caused Hinata to snap fully.

" _What would Aika say if she were here, huh?! She'd tell you the same thing that I'm telling you now! Our quick is about the setter's will, not the spiker's!"_

Hinata wanted to disagree. He wanted to tell him that if she'd been there to hear it, she'd have told him that it was fine to want to stand on his own. But she'd said something to him right after he'd collided with Azumane senpai earlier that day.

" _You're becoming Karasuno's Icarus. Do what you can, but don't try to push yourself."_

That was so vague, just like she always was.

Honestly, he didn't know who she'd side with in their argument. She'd probably call them both stupid and just let them be, tell them to figure it out on their own.

It was then that Hinata decided that he'd take the advice she was sure to give him if he'd asked.

He'd do his best on his own, then figure it out with Kageyama.

* * *

"Shin… Shin, this is…"

Aika's wide eyes began welling with tears as she choked back a sob. Behind her, Shinji looked down at her with a gentle smile on his face, all the love a man could muster in his eyes. He held onto her shoulders as she began to sob quietly, tears streaming down her face.

"Yeah. It's our home."

The white house in front of them wasn't anything really special. It was the two-floor family home that most kids in Japan grew up in, as long as they lived in a town and not in a big city. There were stairs leading up to the front door, a door that was painted a deep maroon with a more western-looking lion-head knocker on the front of the door.

Right in front of the house was a gate, with a nameplate right next to the mailbox.

"Yamada," the nameplate read.

As Aika's shoulders wracked with silent sobs, Shinji simply began to push through the gate, pulling a key out of his pocket. She wiped away her tears as he lifted her out of her wheelchair, holding her in his arms and making his way towards the door.

The door swung open as Shinji unlocked it, revealing a familiar sight behind it.

Everything was in the exact same place as it was when she'd left all that time ago. The couch she and Kenma used to sit on as they watched television together, the table she and Shinji messily ate lunch at, and even the pillows that she used to hide in whenever they all played hide and seek with each other.

It was like time had stood still in the tiny house.

Another wave of tears crashed over the girl who sat in her brother's arms, and she bit her lip, trying to hold it back.

Once again, Shinji held onto her, holding her as tightly as he possibly could, tucking her face into his neck. He could feel her tears leaking out, falling onto him, and he couldn't help but smile at how his strong little sister was so moved to tears.

"We're home, Aika."

* * *

Kageyama tossed the volleyball towards his ceiling, letting it fall in his outstretched hands, frustration clear in his body from the day's events. His fingers bent a little as he tossed it again, watching as it flew above his body as he lay in bed, staring at the ball like it had all the answers to life's greatest mysteries.

There were a lot of questions he wanted answered.

He wanted to understand why Hinata wanted to be able to fight on his own so badly, when he had other people who would help carry him to the end. He wanted to know why having their signature quick, the one that had gotten them through more tough spots than he could remember during their short partnership, wasn't enough for him anymore.

Perhaps the greatest mystery to Kageyama was that of how his feelings were obvious to everyone but to the one person who mattered most.

" _Call it intuition. Most guys can figure out when they have a rival. And from you, I get that feeling. Maybe you don't know it yet, but when it really hits you, you'll understand."_

He wasn't surprised at all that Sugawara knew how he felt for the girl. The upperclassman was always observant; sometimes, it felt like he knew things about his friends before they did. After all, he'd figured out Kageyama's feelings before Kageyama had even begun to sort them out in his head.

But when Sugawara said "rival," Kageyama didn't understand before. He hadn't realized why the other setter was calling him a rival.

Now, he knew.

Sugawara liked Aika, too.

And he was right. When the feelings of "I like her" hit the black-haired setter, they struck like a bullet train to the face, like his heart trying to claw its way out of his chest.

" _Anyone can tell you like her. Except maybe Ai-chi. You should tell her, you know. Before someone else snatches her away from you,"_

He couldn't help but wonder how Lev – someone he'd barely talked to – knew that he was struggling with his feelings for Aika.

" _I'm telling you 'cause it's pretty obvious that you like Aika. I'm not surprised that you do, and I think it's different than how I liked her. She's my sister, and the best friend I could ever ask for. But you… You look at her like she's all you can see."_

Even stupid Hinata knew. The least observant person he could think of, the one who Kageyama always scolded to read his surroundings better, could tell Kageyama's feelings before even he himself could.

Sighing, he let his hands fall, holding the volleyball against his face as he closed his eyes. Even though he was in his home, in his bed, he still felt like he was somewhere far away, somewhere that was much different than where and when he was.

For a moment, he could see his future.

He could see himself standing with Karasuno on the national court, holding a trophy in both hands. He could hear all the people in the stadium cheering for them, clapping for their victory over whoever their opponents were. He could feel the warmth of someone right next to him, and when he turned his head to look at that person, his eyes widened.

A glimpse of wine red hair and a bright smile.

It was enough to make his heart race outside of his daydream.

Eyes snapping open, he tightened his grip on the volleyball, remembering what he'd said to her rooster-haired friend while she laid in the hospital, recovering from her surgery. He'd promised that he'd be Aika's wings.

 _I made a promise. I said I would bring Aika to nationals so she could watch her team win. So, I like her. That doesn't change anything. The end goal is still the same._

Kageyama took a deep breath, letting his hands fall to lie near his head. The volleyball he held rolled away, falling to the floor with a soft thud. It barely registered as he stared at the light above his head.

 _Right?_

* * *

All the siblings' luggage was moved in within a day.

School continued as usual, but for Aika, life after school had suddenly become much different. Shinji was always home for her after practice, waiting with open arms.

Having been accepted into his dream school in Tokyo, and finished his final exams, he technically no longer had any reason to go to school until after summer break ended, which meant he could be with Aika in Tokyo for as long as she needed him, helping her on the road to recovery, which still had a ways to go.

As for the house, because it was in their parents' names, the Yamada siblings, more specifically, Shinji, inherited the house once he turned eighteen, which he had back in May. There was some legal process that he had to go through in order to get his name on the papers, but it all turned out fine, thanks to their aunt.

Of course, Aika had to explain all this to Kenma, who was more than a bit confused at why she was no longer living with him as she recovered, especially since no one had told him anything beforehand.

Once she did, Kenma was just as excited for her as she had been, in his own, Kenma way, of course, when Shinji had surprised her. He'd proceeded to take her home every day after practice, wheeling her along the streets.

For some reason, Kuroo never came with them.


	34. Selfishness

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 34: Selfishness

The tension between Karasuno was palpable.

Of course, Hinata and Kageyama, the almost-inseparable duo, were the two whose tension was the thickest and most noticeable. They refused to practice together after they'd returned from Tokyo, and thus, they barely even spoke.

Practice then became silent as Hinata retreated to do practice on his own, and Kageyama spent more time doing solo practice than working with the team. The two had isolated themselves, not just from each other, but from everyone else, and it bothered the Karasuno boys more than they cared to admit.

But there was tension between Sugawara and two other members of the team, two that no one would have expected there to be problems between. Although Sugawara didn't treat anyone differently, there were people who seemed to be bothered by him for some reason. It was just that no one on Karasuno knew why.

Tsukishima had frowned whenever Sugawara wasn't looking, constantly looking like he wanted to say something to his upperclassman, but just didn't know how to say it. So instead, he said nothing, choosing to just send what seemed like disapproving looks at the back of his silver-haired head.

The other was less noticeable, but just as tense.

Sawamura had been much more formal around his vice captain since the weekend training camp. They still were around each other just as much as ever, but there was this underlying rift between the two, caused by some unknown event.

It wasn't like the captain was cold. He was just rather distant.

* * *

"I still think you're being selfish," he murmured to Sugawara, seeing the other boy looking at his phone as they walked home from practice together. "You didn't even talk to her about it. You just shut her out."

Sighing, Sugawara shut his phone, exiting out of a draft to the subject of their conversation. "Daichi, you know why I did what I did. And it's not like I can take it back," he muttered.

"No, but you can fix it." Sawamura crossed his arms, that similar look of disapproval making itself present on his face.

Sugawara's smile was dry, almost defeated. "It's not like it'll change anything. She probably doesn't have feelings left for me after that." He laughed a self-deprecating laugh, one that was unfamiliar to Sugawara.

Glancing at his friend's face, Sawamura studied him. He knew Sugawara better than he knew most other people, so the other boy was easy enough to read. Behind the guilt and the sadness that came with rejecting Aika's advances, there was something that Sawamura could only read as uncertainty and hesitation.

"What are you so afraid of?"

Sugawara froze for a moment, looking at Sawamura in what was akin to shock. The two boys stopped walking, facing each other as they stood in the dark town.

"Suga. What about Aika is so scary to you?"

He hesitated, kicking his feet against the concrete sidewalk. Sawamura waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts, arms crossed and a stern frown on his face.

"I'm not afraid of Aika," he finally admitted. "It's not like I'm scared of being rejected or dumped or anything like that."

Sawamura's frown deepened. "Then what is it?"

Shrugging, the silver-haired setter managed a weak smile. "I think what I'm most afraid of is taking away her options. Maybe she does like me now, but that could change. It will, I know it. And I don't want her to feel like she _has_ to choose me just because she saw me first."

"You're talking about her and Kageyama," Sawamura guessed, his tone completely deadpan and unimpressed by his friend's reasoning.

Sugawara simply nodded.

"He doesn't seem to realize his feelings just yet. And she doesn't seem to like him as anything more than a teammate and friend. You still have a chance, you know."

"No." Sugawara shook his head, resuming their walk home. Sawamura stared at his friend's back, seeing the tension in his shoulders. "I'm sure seeing her fall apart in front of him made him realize something." He looked back at Sawamura, wearing his best Sugawara smile. "Everything's going to change now."

Sawamura didn't know how to reply to that.

* * *

Kageyama had a whole host of problems thanks to the weekend training camp, ones that he had practically no idea of how to deal with.

He didn't really know how to deal with his confidence being rocked by Hinata's sudden need to grow enough to stand on his own. Before, when his former team had lost confidence in him, he'd turned his back on them in return and found Hinata in order to prove his growth to them.

But there wasn't really anyone he could replace Hinata with. There was no one with the same jumping power and natural instinct that worked so well with his setting ability.

His response this time had to be different.

Seemingly in an unconscious effort to find someone who would help him find his own answer, his feet carried him towards a recreational club, one where children learned the basics of volleyball, including teamwork.

At that club, he found none other than Toru Oikawa.

Even though it took a lot of begging and an uncharacteristic amount of bowing to the one person he didn't want to bow to if he could help it, Oikawa had given him a good answer, a good place to start learning to change himself and be a better leader for the team.

" _Hinata wants to learn to hit our quick on his own, without closing his eyes anymore," he admitted grudgingly, hating that he had to rely on someone who he'd deemed his rival for advice to help him._

 _Humming, the older setter replied, "That'd be impressive if he managed it. Why not let him try?"_

" _It's not as easy as you make it sound! He has no idea the technique needed to spike on his own!"_

 _The smile on Oikawa's face was dry and almost disappointed, like he'd known that Kageyama would respond in that way. "So you just told him, what, 'do as I say?' You know, you sound like a dictator." Even as Kageyama stared, taken aback by him, he continued, "Did you even think about what kind of toss the shrimp wants? Have you even tried?"_

 _Kageyama would never admit it, but that hadn't even crossed his mind._

" _If you think that the situation doesn't need improvement and you get defensive about it, you're just running away from the issue. You need to know that the leader in a team attack isn't the setter, but the spiker. It's not you, Tobio. It's that shrimp of yours."_

Hinata? But how? Really?

" _If you can't get that through your thick head, you're a step closer to becoming the King of the Court again."_

The encounter with Oikawa replayed in his mind through the rest of the day, like reruns of a bad movie, haunting him until he had the entire conversation memorized back to front. He continued to think about it as he returned to Karasuno, returned to the gym, pondering exactly what Oikawa meant when he said that Hinata controlled the attack. It just didn't make a lot of sense.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he opened his contacts, stopping on the name _Aika Yamada_ in bold characters. He stared at it blankly, wondering if asking her for help would be the right idea, or if she'd be just as lost as he was. He doubted it, but he didn't know how he could even begin a conversation, let alone hold one properly.

After all, he'd just begun to realize his feelings for the girl, and he hadn't spoken to her since they'd left Tokyo. Suddenly speaking to her, contacting her out of the blue, and for something so strange seemed like it wouldn't really go over well.

He didn't want to blame his nerves, but he blamed his nerves.

The other person he could ask was Sugawara, who, as an upperclassmen, probably knew what to do. But then, he remembered that Sugawara had sided with him during the first argument between him and Hinata, back in Tokyo, and he figured that maybe the other setter didn't really know how to fix this, either.

His phone buzzed suddenly, interrupting his thought process.

 _Call from: Coach_

* * *

Hinata laid in bed, his phone above his face, illuminating his features in the darkness as he typed a message to Aika, continuing to keep her updated on how he was doing after the weekend training camp.

 _To: Princess Aika  
_ _From: Shoyo the Giant  
_ _I'm working with Coach Ukai!  
_ _Like… the other Ukai!  
_ _The older one! The legend!  
_ _He's teaching me about tempos and stuff,  
_ _and it's all really interesting!_

Almost immediately, he got a response.

 _To: Shoyo the Giant  
_ _From: Princess Aika  
_ _Coach's grandfather?  
_ _The former coach?  
_ _That's real impressive, Shoyo…  
_ _be sure to learn lots.  
_ _Tempo is going to help you.  
_ _Is Kageyama there, too?_

Frowning, he bit his lip. He'd specifically left Aika out of the loop concerning the fight he'd had with Kageyama the day they'd returned from Tokyo. He knew she'd be concerned, and he knew she'd be disappointed. In order to avoid eliciting those reactions from her, he'd decided to keep it from her.

But maybe hiding that important piece of information, one that had steered the course of his growth over the past few days and would continue to do so, even if he managed to salvage his partnership with Kageyama, wasn't such a good idea.

Aika was smart, certainly smarter than he was. If she'd known a few days prior, she'd definitely have helped him. Maybe he'd be able to work on tempo with Kageyama. But since he hadn't, she didn't know.

She deserved to know, especially when it concerned the partnership she treasured so much.

 _To: Princess Aika  
_ _From: Shoyo the Giant  
_ _No… We got in a fight.  
_ _I want to stop closing my eyes,  
_ _and he doesn't want me to.  
_ _I don't even know if we're…  
_ _going to be partners after this…  
_ _What do you think?_

 _To: Shoyo the Giant  
_ _From: Princess Aika  
_ _I think you're both stupid.  
_ _But I think this is necessary.  
_ _Everyone else is growing,  
_ _so you make sure to learn, too.  
_ _Prove everyone here wrong.  
_ _Show us that Karasuno spirit._

A wave of relief crashed over Hinata at her reply, sensing only disappointment, but not anger. Even though she didn't necessarily approve of the way it'd come around, she certainly knew that it was probably the best course of action.

Hearing that from her boosted Hinata's confidence in what he was doing.

 _To: Princess Aika  
_ _From: Shoyo the Giant  
_ _So… you're not mad?_

 _To: Shoyo the Giant  
_ _From: Princess Aika  
_ _I never said that.  
_ _It just wouldn't be useful  
_ _to get mad at you now.  
_ _But I'll have a talk with  
_ _both you and Kageyama  
_ _the next time I see you._

 _To: Shoyo the Giant  
_ _From: Princess Aika  
_ _For now, your punishment  
_ _for fighting is to grow lots.  
_ _Practice so hard that you're  
_ _not the same Shoyo as  
_ _I saw the last time you were here.  
_ _Prove them all wrong._

Hinata couldn't help but smile at the last message from his best friend, the one who was miles away, but still cared as much as if she was right next to him. Falling back on his bed, he lifted his phone, reading the message once more.

It was harsh, but it was encouragement for Hinata, in a way that only Aika ever encouraged him.

Taking a deep breath, he felt determination light up his entire body.

* * *

Kageyama's phone buzzed as he watched more videos on his computer about tempo. He ignored it, thinking it was probably just a reminder about practice, and turned back to his laptop screen.

It buzzed again, causing him to look at it once more, and then one final time.

Curiously, he picked it up and flipped it open, only to find three new messages.

 _To: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _From: Aika Yamada  
_ _Shoyo told me you guys  
_ _got into a fight? Idiots.  
_ _I'm going to have a talk  
_ _with both of you when  
_ _you come back._

 _To: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _From: Aika Yamada  
_ _I also talked to Yachi,  
_ _and she told me you're  
_ _learning to perform a  
_ _toss that stops in mid-air.  
_ _My advice to you is to  
_ _find a happy medium  
_ _between the height of  
_ _your toss and the spin  
_ _of the ball. Got it?  
_ _You don't really need  
_ _my advice though.  
_ _You'll figure it out.  
_ _After all, you are a genius._

 _To: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _From: Aika Yamada  
_ _Both of you had better  
_ _work hard until you get here.  
_ _I'll be waiting to see the new  
_ _Kageyama-Hinata duo._

For a moment, he could only stare at his phone, both surprised and not by the supportive message from Aika. He should've known that she would figure out what had happened between the duo, especially given her relationships with several members of the team, including Hinata and Sugawara.

Blushing, he used both hands to awkwardly type back, still somewhat unused to having someone to send text messages to.

 _To: Aika Yamada  
_ _From: Tobio Kageyama  
_ _I won't let you down.  
_ _Wait for me, and I'll show you  
_ _that we're going to keep  
_ _getting even better from here._

* * *

From her place in Tokyo, Aika couldn't help but smile at the message from the black-haired setter. Placing her phone back on her desk, she returned to her notebook, where several new pages were filled with techniques for Karasuno to try.

* * *

Tsukishima eyed the King as he practiced some new type of set, as he tossed the balls that were thrown to him by the new team manager. He frowned, wiping his forehead with his towel, never taking his eyes off the black-haired boy.

He remembered the look on the King's face when their assistant coach, the girl who so clearly cared for the King and the shrimp, fell apart in front of the entire gymnasium. He remembered seeing a mixture of emotions he never thought he'd see on the setter's face, all of them clashing in a way that painted a clear picture of his true feelings for the girl.

The King had romantic interest in the girl - in Aika - which meant that his emotions when he was witnessing her breakdown were all out of affection.

His worry was for her tears that were being shed over another man. His hesitation was over whether or not she needed him to comfort her. His sadness was in response to hers, like he felt it as deeply as she did.

But the King - Kageyama - had no idea why she was crying so hard.

He still didn't, even days after Karasuno had departed Tokyo.

"That's it, guys!" the coach called, effectively ending Tsukishima's thought process. "We have to lock up for the day, so everyone get ready to go home! We can't have anyone here for much longer."

"Thank you very much!"

Tsukishima watched as the rest of the team filed out, some chatting away, while others were silent as they thought about what they'd practiced that day. He pushed himself off the wall as Kageyama passed him, making a quick decision, one that he hoped that he wouldn't regret.

"Hey. Your Majesty."

Irritated by how the taller boy was addressing him, Kageyama turned around from his rapid-fire questioning of the overwhelmed ace with a wicked glare. "What is it," he demanded shortly.

Sighing, Tsukishima gestured for Kageyama to follow him. "I have to talk to you. In private."

"About?"

He rolled his eyes, irritation bubbling up. "It's something that you need to know. Just you, though." He tried to convey what it was about through his eyes, although he wasn't quite sure that Kageyama understood.

"Fine. Make it quick," Kageyama relented.

The two boys, after saying goodbye to Azumane, walked around to the side of the gym. Tsukishima stopped, looking to Kageyama with an almost uncharacteristic amount of seriousness.

"You want to know what made her cry, don't you?" he asked simply, crossing his arms.

Kageyama's eyes widened as he nodded. "Aika? You know?"

"Of course I do, dumbass. I was there when it happened." Uncrossing his arms, Tsukishima looked away from the King, not wanting to see his reaction to when he spelled it out. "This was probably the first time she had feelings for someone. She doesn't seem like the type of person who puts herself out there too much. But she did. And she got rejected."

He heard a soft noise from Kageyama, one of shock and anger. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the look on the setter's face, the horrified look that came with the understanding of heartbreak.

"So… why are you telling me this?"

Tsukishima frowned, looking back to Kageyama. "Because you like her. It's real obvious when you look for even a second. It's best that you know so you can figure out what to do."

For a moment, Kageyama said nothing, looking lost and confused. He opened and shut his mouth a few times, like he was searching for the right thing to say. Finally, he settled on, "What do you think I should do?" He was quiet, so quiet that Tsukishima barely heard him.

Although the sudden change in the setter's demeanor shook Tsukishima a bit, he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm not you. I don't know what you would do. Figure that out yourself."


	35. Rift

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 35: Rift

" _Because you like her. It's real obvious when you look for even a second. It's best that you know so you can figure out what to do."_

The volleyball made a resounding thud against the floor of the court, barely missing the water bottle that Kageyama was aiming for. Gritting his teeth, he looked to Yachi, who was holding another ball, prepared to toss it to him.

As she did, his own words from the day before echoed in his head.

" _What do you think I should do?"_

He couldn't quite believe that he'd been so lost that he'd had to ask Tsukishima, of all people, for help in understanding his next step. Even though he now what the source of Aika's tears was, he didn't know what to do with that information.

Yachi tossed the ball to him, and his eyes followed its trajectory through the air. Lifting his hands, he formed that familiar cup, just like it was second nature to him.

" _I'm not you. I don't know what you would do. Figure that out yourself."_

He'd thought about it all of the previous night and even throughout the day's classes. It distracted him from his daily routine, consuming his mind as he desperately attempted to figure out how to proceed.

The volleyball landed once more with a thud, just barely missing the bottle again.

He liked Aika.

Now that he knew that, figuring what to do should've been easy. He didn't have a lot of people to speak with concerning matters of romance.

Honestly, he didn't quite trust many of his teammates to be of any help. Tsukishima was clearly unwilling to help him, as he'd said the night before. Sawamura might have been able to help, but he didn't seem like the type of person to concern himself with his team's personal lives. Tanaka and Nishinoya weren't going to be of any help at all, and he doubted Yamaguchi or Azumane had ever actually had a romantic relationship.

The only people he knew he could talk to, especially concerning Aika, were Hinata and Sugawara.

Hinata was out of the question, since he and Kageyama weren't speaking.

Sugawara was Kageyama's only other option.

* * *

"Ai-chi! You're walking!"

Lev ran up to Aika, his green eyes seeming to sparkle, as she entered the gym, a worried Yaku at her side. She held onto her crutches, but nodded with a small smile.

"I got the okay from my therapist yesterday. I'm slow, and I can't do stairs, but my leg is starting to recover properly," she explained, the three students making their way over to the bench, Yaku watching Aika's movements with careful eyes.

Lev nodded, his smile only growing bigger. "That's good! Don't strain yourself, and make sure you rest if you're hurt! Ask if you need help, okay?!"

If he had a tail, Aika was sure it'd be wagging at a thousand miles per minute.

Unable to help her laughter, she nodded. "I will, no need to worry. Can you do me a favor and get Tetsu over here? I need to talk to him about something." She paused, then added, "And, Lev? I noticed that your wrist seemed to be hurting you by the end of practice. Work on receives today instead of spikes, and ice your wrist so it doesn't get any worse."

The tall silver-head gave her a thumbs-up before jogging over to the rooster-haired captain.

Yaku placed her bag on the bench next to her as she sat down, sighing in relief from the lack of strain on her still-recovering leg. He hummed a bit, sitting next to her. "How's everything else going for you, Aika?" he asked softly.

Her smile turned a bit sad. She knew what he was talking about, as he'd weaseled it out of her the day after Karasuno had left. She'd confessed that she'd been rejected by the person she liked, and he was a bit surprised, having still thought that she liked Kageyama.

When he learned it was Sugawara, he was both surprised and enraged.

" _What an idiot!"_ he'd complained, crossing his arms angrily. _"He seemed so nice and so responsible, but he's got to be even more of an idiot then Lev to reject you!"_

From there, from his loud complaints of Sugawara's idiocy, the rest of the Nekoma team quickly learned what happened. Lev had been very vocal about his disappointment, while Kenma only burned with quiet rage. Tetsuro, on the other hand, had been silent.

He hadn't said anything about her crush, but had looked at her with the most sympathy a human being could muster, then had proceeded to ask her about the day's drills instead.

Yaku had been the only one not to drop the subject, knowing how sad it'd left her and not wanting to leave her alone. Even though it'd only been a week, he'd made sure to check on her, sometimes even asking her how she was coping with it. At one point, he'd even walked her home, allowing her to tell him as much as she wished.

" _I've had crushes before,"_ she'd admitted. _"Everyone has, right? I used to have a tiny crush on Ken, way back when we were kids. But I always pushed it away because there were other things to focus on. I think… this was the first time that I really thought I could have both volleyball and romance. This would've been my first confession. If I hadn't been rejected before I could even say anything."_

Yaku had just quietly listened as he wheeled her home, allowing her to say all the things that she couldn't really trust other people with. _"Why are you telling me this? Why not Kenma or Kuroo?"_

She'd shrugged. _"They'd get angry and worried, and they wouldn't listen to me because of it. That'd be like talking to my older brothers. But talking to you, you're a friend rather than an overbearing brother."_ As she'd said this, she'd smiled up at him, seeming just a bit more vulnerable than she had before.

He'd only blushed a bit at the praise, knowing that she was so vulnerable at that moment, her defenses down in a way that they hadn't been before then. She'd chosen to open herself up more than she had since she'd joined the Nekoma team, and she'd chosen to open up to him, of all people.

" _I appreciate the trust. I still think that Sugawara is an idiot for rejecting you, but I'm sure he has his own reasons, too. Getting over something like that isn't going to be easy, I know that. But I think this is going to make you stronger in the end."_

From that moment onwards, Yaku had shifted into the role of being Aika's closest companion during school. He would always check on her throughout the day and staying near her during practice. He'd easily slid into the place that Kuroo had once occupied, but no more.

The captain jogged over to the two as they sat together, shooting a look at Yaku, who was setting Aika's crutches against the bench. "You called?" he asked dryly, his seemingly bored eyes landing once more on his friend.

"Mm." She nodded, pulling her notebook out of her bag and flipping through the pages, clicking her pen over and over as she leafed through the book. "Yaku, would you mind leaving us for a while? I'd like to talk to Tetsu alone for a little while," she said softly, not looking up at either of the boys.

Yaku and Kuroo exchanged glances, both of them warning each other without words to treat Aika well. For a few moments, they were silent as they exchanged these looks, but Yaku was the first to pull away, obeying Aika's words. Kuroo stayed where he was, standing less than a foot away from the bench, waiting for her to say something. She simply continued to flip through the pages, making him fidget a little bit as he waited.

Her eyes pierced him as she looked up. "I may be clueless when it comes to myself, but I know you better than you'd like." He felt his heart jolt at her words, but she continued, "You and Shin are complete idiots. Both of you."

"How did you-"

Once again, she cut him off with a roll of her eyes. "Look. You said that you liked someone, but you didn't think they liked you back. That's Shin, isn't it?" she asked softly, her demeanor unchanging, but her tone softening.

Kuroo looked down, not wanting to see the knowing look on her face. "It's not that I like him…"

"But you do." He jolted at her tone, looking down at her with wide, surprised eyes. "You and Shin were always close. Remember when we used to play house? You were the dad and Shin was the mom. Always."

His face was blank, expressionless, as he remembered when they were just children. They _had_ played house multiple times together, before most of them were sucked into sports. And, being the two oldest, Kuroo and Shinji were always parents to the two younger kids.

"That doesn't mean that I have any special feelings for Shin," Kuroo attempted to defend himself, but his voice sounded uncharacteristically weak, even to himself.

Sighing at her friend's stubborn streak, one she was sure that she'd learned from him, Aika closed her notebook. She looked up at him once more, her gaze knowing. "Don't treat me like I'm stupid, Tetsu. Shin told me about you pretty much bolting from him during the training camp weekend. Said you were trying to avoid him or something," she droned.

"I…"

"And he said that he still had to reply to something you'd said years ago, but he didn't think you'd listen. Said you were always stubborn that way."

Kuroo looked away, something akin to sadness filling his chest. He sighed, echoing Aika only moments earlier. Without another word to his childhood friend, he turned away from her and faced the courts instead. He clapped his hands, returning to the persona that he wore when he was Nekoma's captain. His voice, shouting orders to the rest of the team, echoed throughout the large gym.

The only person who didn't immediately scramble to begin practice was Kenma.

Kenma, who stared at Kuroo, a knowing look in his cat-like eyes. He gazed over to Aika, who met his eyes and shook her head sadly.

His shoulders falling, Kenma turned back to practice wordlessly.

* * *

"Sugawara senpai."

The silver-haired setter turned to see his younger counterpart staring at him quietly, a fire in his gaze that burned with determination. He nodded to Tanaka, a small smile on his face, as he turned to face Kageyama fully.

"What is it, Kageyama?" he asked softly. "Did you need something from me?"

Kageyama faltered for a second, but quickly regained his composure and bowed deeply, surprising his upperclassman. "I… I'm working on something, and I need help, and I don't know who else to go to!" he practically shouted, his voice reverberating through the nearly empty gym.

For a moment, Sugawara looked surprised at Kageyama's willingness to ask for help, as did the other people who were in the gym, Sawamura, Nishinoya, and Hinata.

"Um… yeah, sure. What do you need help with?"

Kageyama glanced around uncomfortably, not fully comfortable speaking with other people around them. He bit his lip, hesitating for a moment. "Can we… maybe talk outside?" he asked quietly.

Seeing the other people in the room, the elder understood. "Of course. Follow me."

The two exited the gym, Kageyama trailing after his upperclassmen almost timidly, something uncomfortable to witness for those who knew him. They walked around the gym, towards the back of the building.

"So? What is it you wanted to ask me?"

The taller boy shifted on his feet. "It's… it's actually not about setting practice," he admitted after a brief second. "It's about Aika."

Sugawara's blood ran cold, and he swore that he forgot how to breathe.

"I… I like her," Kageyama admitted. "But I don't know what I should do now that I know how I feel. I don't know if I should tell her or even if she feels the same way."

Sugawara still said nothing, only staring silently at the younger setter.

"She was crying the last time I saw her. Tsukishima said that someone hurt her, and Lev said that someone broke her heart. I… I don't know, though. And I want to find out what happened to make her so sad like that."

It was impossible for Sugawara to ignore the guilt he felt in his chest, just like a weight that pulled at his heart. He simply stayed silent, his eyes on the ground. If he even looked at Kageyama, he knew he'd break.

 _It was me,_ he wanted to confess. _I was the one who hurt her, and I'm still angry at myself for it. I didn't want to make her cry. But I tried to do what was best. You understand that, don't you, Kageyama? You'd do the same for her, wouldn't you?_

"Sugawara senpai?" a deep voice asked.

Only then did he look up at Kageyama.

Kageyama stared right back for a moment, his eyes searching for something within Sugawara's. It felt like an eternity before either boy moved again. Kageyama moved first, his eyes narrowing as he took a step back. His hands shook as he stared at his upperclassman with what looked like betrayal.

 _He knows._

That was the only thought that Sugawara managed to think before the explosion happened.

"You were the one who hurt her, right?" Kageyama was deadly quiet, so quiet that he was almost threatening. "You made her cry?"

Sugawara simply looked back down again, his silence the only answer that Kageyama needed to hear.

"Why… How could you?"

The silver-haired teen managed a weak smile. "It's because I'm not the right guy for her. There's someone who's right next to her who's just… so much better. After all, I'm going to leave soon, and I don't know where I'll go. She shouldn't have to wait for me to come home," he confessed quietly, his voice filled with sadness at his own realizations.

"Bullshit." Kageyama's voice, dangerously quiet only moments before, was now filled with fire. "She liked you back. She chose you."

"She chose me because I was the first one she saw. But I'm not the only one."

"I'm sure she knows this. She's not stupid, so why would you treat her like she is?"

Sugawara hesitated for a moment. "I know she's not dumb. But she's really young, and she hasn't thought about the future yet. Dating someone older, like me, would take away a lot of options for her in the future."

Kageyama was unimpressed. "You're less than two years older than her."

"Two years doesn't sound like a lot, but it's much longer than you probably think," he muttered.

"She likes you. She probably still likes you. I don't know how you broke her heart or anything like that. I didn't even know she liked you until now. But I do know that she's a smart girl who knows what she wants. You think she can't make decisions because she's a bit younger than you? Maybe you're the one who can't think far ahead."

Sugawara's eyes widened as he saw the rage burning in Kageyama's very being, looking like he had fire erupting from behind him.

"You're an idiot, Sugawara senpai. And I'm not going to let you forget it."

* * *

Sawamura silently frowned, knowing that Kageyama was right. Sugawara had pushed away someone who had liked him because of who he was. He'd pushed away a girl who had given him a good chance at happiness, no matter how short-lived that happiness might have been.

He pushed away from his place against the wall, one that was just around the corner from where the two setters were speaking.

 _Maybe Sugawara was right when he said "everything is going to change now." It looks like it's already begun to change._


	36. Practice

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 36: Practice

The relationship between Sugawara and Kageyama had been rocky ever since that day.

Most of the team was too busy with their own practices to notice, but neither could look each other in the eye properly anymore. There was obvious tension that grew thicker and thicker by the day. Kageyama threw himself more and more into practice, silently ignoring everyone around him except for Yachi, who often stayed to help him practice his tosses. Sugawara, meanwhile, was still happy and friendly, always ready to offer a smile, but those smiles were often tinged with a soft sadness.

A week passed before the rest of the team started to notice the change in their two setters.

"Hey, does anyone know what happened with Suga or Kageyama?" Nishinoya asked during a break one day, holding a water bottle in one hand as he glanced from one side of the court to the other.

Sugawara had exiled himself to one corner, where he was scribbling something down in his notes, while Kageyama had isolated himself with his phone in the opposite corner.

Sawamura stayed silent, watching as his team tried to reason what had happened to change them so much.

"Do you think they're still competing over the starting spot?" Asahi murmured, looking hesitant as he worriedly glanced at his friend's lonely figure.

Ennoshita shook his head. "No, that was settled. I think it's something different."

"There's been tension since the training camp. Something that happened then?" Yamaguchi suggested quietly.

"Could be. But it's gotten worse in the past week, you know?" Tanaka took a long drink of water between sentences. "It's like something personal happened. Not sure what."

There was only silence between the team then. Everyone looked at either Sugawara or Kageyama, trying to figure out exactly what had happened to change both of the setters so much in just a few days.

"I know," Tsukishima suddenly said. All of the boys turned to look at him as he stared directly at Sugawara's back, his gaze so emotionless that he looked almost angry.

"And? What is it?"

The tall blond turned to look at Tanaka. "It's not really my place to say." He turned again, looking directly at Sawamura. "But I'm sure that our captain here also knows."

All eyes focused on Sawamura in that moment, so suddenly that he was barely prepared for it. "It's none of our business," he finally said, his voice more confident than he felt. "Right now, we're all doing individual practices, and it's not affecting our team so much. Let them figure it out if they can."

There were murmurs of agreement from the rest, but Sawamura focused on Sugawara's back as he stood, wondering if he'd made the right decision to let the two setters try to handle their problems on their own.

* * *

"Shin." He looked up upon hearing his sister's voice, a bit of food sticking from his mouth, blinking almost comically. Aika stared back at him, a blank look on her face. "That thing you had to say to Tetsu… was it that you liked him, too?"

Shin froze upon hearing her say that. He gently put his chopsticks down and swallowed his food, then sighing. "How did you figure it out?" he asked softly.

"I remember what Tetsu said to you before we moved. You both thought that me and Kenma had gone to sleep, but we were both there that night." Aika folded her hands, staring at her brother, who only stared back in surprise. "He told you that us moving wouldn't be the end."

He nodded with a fond smile on his face. "And he told me that he'd find us, and that he'd ask me to marry him. So we wouldn't have to be separated again." He chuckled a little, softness taking over his face.

"You didn't respond."

Freezing again, he let his head fall. "Yeah… I didn't."

"But you liked him back."

"Yeah."

Aika hummed, picking up her utensils and beginning to eat. "You're both stupid. Too stubborn for your own good. If you both like each other, why are you both so scared?" she asked.

A self-deprecating laugh fell from Shin's lips. "Aika, this is Japan. Gay people aren't accepted here. If Tetsu and I got together, we'd be persecuted. I'm sure he'd lose whatever he would have gained from being so good at his sport. It's not… it's not worth it."

"Why is that up to you to decide?" she asked quietly.

Shin simply smiled sadly. "Because I care about him so much that I'd give my happiness for his future. That's why it's up to me to decide."

Aika said nothing, simply looked at her brother with disappointment.

* * *

"Enough is enough, Sawamura!" Ennoshita exclaimed to his captain as they left the gym. "We leave for Tokyo in two days, and both of our setters are still ignoring each other! I know you said to let them work it out by themselves, but this is getting ridiculous!"

Sawamura sighed as he stopped walking. "I don't know how to fix this," he admitted. "I know what happened, but I don't think that I can change Suga's mind. He's stubborn like that."

"What about Kageyama?" the second-year asked, unwilling to give up.

Once again, Sawamura shook his head. "Kageyama is angry, and he really has every right to be. Suga had something that Kageyama wanted, but Suga gave it up without a fight. Of course he's angry," he explained.

Ennoshita blinked, realization dawning on him. "This something… does it happen to be a certain girl who's waiting for us in Tokyo?" A small, knowing smile tugged at his lips.

Not saying anything, Sawamura brushed past Ennoshita, leaving his younger counterpart to follow him with a new understanding of what happened.

* * *

Aika glanced over at Kuroo, who'd been avoiding her ever since their confrontation. He was yelling orders at the rest of the team. Lev was scrambling to figure everything out, making the rest of the freshmen giggle as he struggled, loudly complaining that the captain clearly had something against him to make him suffer like this.

Said captain didn't respond, simply drove the team to practice harder.

"He's stressed, Ai," Kenma said to her, his voice quiet as he sat down on the bench next to her. He held a water bottle in one hand, a bottled green tea in the other. He passed the tea to Aika, who gratefully took it. "I don't know what else we can do for him. He doesn't want to listen to us, especially not about… _this_."

She sighed, nodding in acknowledgement. "I know, Ken. But they've allowed this to control how they interact with each other for eight years," she tried to reason.

"It's a long time." Kenma looked to where Kuroo was yelling at Lev again, laughing as Yaku threw several balls at the lanky first year, who was simply trying to send all of them back at once, his limbs flailing comically. "But he's too stubborn to really let anyone else help him, especially if he doesn't want to be helped."

Aika sighed, exasperated. "But it's not helping anyone if he just keeps pouting and sulking over it! It's been getting worse the longer Shin is here. Every time they see each other, Tetsu just… it's like he shuts down. And Shin… Shin's just getting more depressed that Tetsu's ignoring him." Her voice started out angered and loud, but as she went on, it trailed off, getting lower and lower, more dejected as she reasoned with herself.

Gently wrapping an arm around her, Kenma held her close. He rubbed her shoulder gently as she tucked her head into the crook of his neck.

He looked over to Kuroo, who was looking right at Aika, and had been since she looked away from him. He frowned at his friend, disapproval written on his lips, and couldn't help the surge of pride he felt as Kuroo pulled his gaze away, knowing sadness on his face.

"We'll keep trying then. Until they both decide to start being adults about their feelings," he said soothingly, pulling her into a hug.

She nodded, allowing herself to relax into his embrace.

* * *

"You know, you should explain the full story to Kageyama," Sawamura said the next day as he sat across from Sugawara during lunch, the two having pushed their desks together. "I heard what you said to him, but you left out a very key detail."

Sugawara calmly sipped at his drink as he flipped through his notes. "Oh? And what was that?" he asked.

"You said that there's someone better for Aika. You left out who that person is."

The silver-haired boy hummed, a serene smile on his face. "I think that me telling him wouldn't really help him to believe it," he argued softly. "Kageyama isn't the type to believe anything that he hasn't confirmed for himself. And he hasn't confirmed for himself that he's the right person for Aika."

Pursing his lips, Sawamura rubbed his forehead, still unable to fully comprehend his friend's thought process. "So, what you're saying is… you're trying to give him a push in the right direction, but not telling him where he's going," he said slowly, trying to piece together what Sugawara was trying to say.

"Pretty much, yes." Sugawara smiled softly. "I think the training camp will be good for both of them. It'll allow them to think on what they really feel for each other."

Sawamura frowned even deeper. "But what if she chooses you?"

"Then I'll do the same thing as I did last time," Sugawara said firmly, his eyes narrowing at the very idea. "I don't want to hurt her again, but I want to do what's best for her."

The captain opened and closed his mouth, trying to find an argument, but he knew that no matter what he had to say, no matter how reasonable his points were, Sugawara wouldn't hear it. He would argue because he was stubborn like that, set in his decisions, especially when it came to the well-being of others.

"Okay," he finally said, giving in with a sad grin on his face. "Whatever you decide, Suga."

* * *

"Kageyama." The first-year setter looked up to see Ennoshita staring at him with a slight frown on his face. "What's been going on with you lately?" he asked, crossing his arms, similar to how Sawamura would.

Huffing, Kageyama pushed himself off the floor of the gym and pushed past the second-year. Ennoshita quickly caught him by the arm and held on tightly, even as Kageyama turned on him with a stormy glare that would have intimidated most of the team.

"Get off," he snapped, pulling his arm from his senior's grip.

Ennoshita allowed his arm to drop, but still pinned him down with the glare. "You've isolated yourself for the past few weeks, and it's been negatively impacting your ability to work with the rest of us. I know it has something to do with Aika, but if it's affecting all of us, we should talk about it as a team," he lectured, his glare never lessening.

Kageyama bit his lip, willing himself to not snap at his teammate. Instead, he aimed his glare off to the side. "It's got nothing to do with you. And it's none of your business," he snapped, trying to keep his voice level.

"It's affecting the team, so it's all of our business."

"Will you stop?!" Kageyama finally burst, his yell catching the attention of the Karasuno team, including Takeda, Yachi, Shimizu, and Ukai, who all turned to look at the duo with worry and shock. "It's between me and Sugawara senpai and Aika, alright?!"

"What happened?" Ennoshita shot back, clearly attempting to keep calm.

Kageyama, sick of hearing the patronizing tone Ennoshita had taken on, clearly blaming him for the tension as of late, pointed directly towards the mop of silver hair he saw standing alongside the rest of his team.

"Ask him!"

The team, who were all watching, turned to look at Sugawara, who stood in the back. He had the decency to look ashamed of himself.

Ennoshita, pulling his gaze from his upperclassmen, turned to look at his underclassman. It looked like pieces were falling into place in his mind. "Suga… that day that Aika came back crying… the day we left…"

"Yeah." Sugawara managed a bitter smile. "I made her cry."

Although he didn't sound proud of it, the admission was enough to cause a roar of anger from Hinata. The small, orange-haired boy leapt forwards, his eyes filled with rage as he made a move to grab at Sugawara. He was quickly held back by Tanaka, who was also looking at the older boy with something like betrayal.

"Why would you do that to her?!" Hinata shouted, his voice echoing throughout the court. "She never cries, and you hurt her like that?! I thought you cared about her!"

Sugawara said nothing, simply looked down at the floor.

"Suga, what does he mean by that? That you made Aika cry?" Nishinoya asked, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

He still didn't reply, but his hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms.

"Just tell them," Tsukishima drawled, crossing his arms and looking bored. "It's not like anyone's feelings are a national secret."

Finally, Sugawara glared at the team. "I just want her to be happy, okay?! She liked me, and I turned her down!" he yelled out, admitting to everything. "She wanted to confess, and I couldn't let her, because I can't let her make a bad decision!"

"Bad decision?" Nishinoya asked, bewilderment on his face. "What about being with you is a bad decision?"

Sugawara didn't say anything, instead looking reasonably embarrassed as he clamped his mouth shut, biting his lip to keep from speaking out again.

"He doesn't want to tie her down to him," Sawamura said for him, disappointment written across his stern-looking face. "Thinks it'd only make her sad in the end."

Tanaka glared. "What's that supposed to mean?! Personally, I think you'd be a great boyfriend, especially to someone like Aika!"

"I do, too," Asahi admitted, standing next to his friend and offering a reassuring smile.

Sugawara offered a small smile. "There's someone who's better for her, though." He looked directly at Kageyama, whose eyes widened in realization. He meekly pointed to himself as the rest of the team followed the older setter's gaze.

"Kageyama…?"

He looked at Hinata, who was watching him with an expression that mirrored how he felt.

"I… You gave up her feelings… for me?" he asked, moving his gaze back to Sugawara.

The silver-haired boy nodded. "Yeah. I see how you look at her, and how she looks at you." Kageyama's eyes went even wider at the admission, his mind racing a mile a minute. "I think you'd be good for her."

Silence fell over the boys. From the sides, the two girls stared at the team, one in worry and one in anticipation.

Finally, a small voice said, "I think Kageyama would be good for Aika." All eyes turned to Hinata, who was staring directly at Kageyama, determination in his eyes. "I think that they'd make a good couple."

"I do, too." Yamaguchi nodded from the side. "He always seems happier around her. And she seems more relaxed around him." Tsukishima said nothing, but nodded at Kageyama in agreement with Yamaguchi.

Ennoshita sighed. "I guess if Sugawara thinks that Kageyama is a good fit, then I agree," he said, a small smile on his face.

"I agree." All eyes turned to Sawamura, who stood with crossed arms.

Nishinoya, from the side, burst, "What?! Why?!"

Sawamura simply shrugged. "Honestly, it's already been decided." He glanced over to the younger setter and nodded. "Just don't mess this up, got it?"

Under the captain's watchful eye, Kageyama found himself nodding.

"I got it."


	37. Summer

Haikyuu!  
Higher  
Chapter 37: Summer

"Aika!"

A bolt of orange practically leapt into her arms, Hinata practically burying himself in her neck. She couldn't help the laughter as she hugged him back, her crutches dropping to the floor, keeping her closest friend close to her as she ran a hand through his fluffy, bright hair. Kenma watched the two with a gentle smile on his face.

"I missed you, too, Shoyo. I'm glad you're here."

Her sunshine pulled away from her, but helped keep her upright with a hand still holding her waist. "You're walking now! That's so good! You'll be better in no time at all!" He beamed, his smile as bright as the sun that he was named for. He nuzzled himself even further into her side, contentment on his face as he held the girl he had so much affection for even closer.

As she gently rubbed Hinata's back, Aika looked over at her Karasuno - her team - with a smile that hadn't been on her face the last time they saw her. "I'm really glad you guys are here," she said, allowing Hinata to hold her up.

Meanwhile, Hinata's eyes sparkled as he stared at the area around the Shinzen campus. "Hey, hey, where's Skytree?!" he demanded, his eyes searching for the iconic building. His eyes fixed on a transmission tower, and he pointed to it excitedly. "Is that the Tokyo Tower?!"

Aika laughed softly as Kenma softly pried Hinata away from her, handing her the crutches she'd dropped. "No, that's just… a regular transmission tower. You know, for radio and stuff," he replied, sounding confused.

"Ai, do you guys not have transmission towers in Miyagi?" Kuroo teased from behind her.

Sawamura, who stood next to the Nekoma captain, frowned. "They all look like the Tokyo Tower to us! Our towers aren't red like you Tokyo peoples' are!" he shot back, his voice distressed as he walked forwards with his team.

Sighing at his captain's competitive relationship with Kuroo - even over something as simple as the transmission towers - Sugawara had his own frown on his face. "You do realize that's not a good thing to say, right? Plus, you know we're in Saitama, don't you?" he asked dryly.

"It's true, though," Aika added, turning to see the rest of her boys walking forwards. Upon seeing them, her heart skipped a beat - but not for the reason that she expected. Tearing her gaze away from them, she grinned cheekily at Kuroo instead. "Tokyo is just too flashy for us. It's like you guys have something to prove."

Kuroo simply glared at her. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Ai."

She laughed and turned towards Karasuno once more, although not before kicking him in the shin with her good leg, causing him to yelp in pain. He hopped up and down a bit, grimacing as Sawamura snickered at him.

Meanwhile, Aika's brown eyes locked with Kageyama's tired, dark blue eyes. Immediately losing all of the tiredness in his eyes, he bounded forwards, past Sawamura and the rest of his team, a small blush coming over his face.

"Aika… you're walking," he said, looking her up and down. "You're still small, though."

Her cheeks puffed up like a cute squirrel, a pout on her face. He felt himself blush even more at her expressiveness. "I grew a centimeter," she mumbled, pursing her lips.

He couldn't help a small chuckle at her cute behavior.

Now that he knew that he liked her - and that he had a chance - it was so much harder to tell his body to fight his natural instincts to blush.

* * *

Sugawara watched as the two first years reunited, the small smiles and soft words they shared between themselves. He watched as Aika shyly tucked her hair behind her ear after Kageyama pointed out it was getting longer now, and he watched as Kageyama blushed when Aika said something about him seeming a bit more mature, even if it'd only been a few weeks.

He couldn't help the sad smile that formed on his face, seeing how sincere her smile was after only a few weeks after his rejection. She seemed like she'd been recovering well, and was happy where she was now.

"You know, Aika told me I was being a hypocrite last time you guys were here." Surprised at the sudden voice, Sugawara turned around to see Kuroo staring at him with crossed arms and a blank face. "She told me that no one would blame me for loving someone. And that I should just suck it up and tell the person I love that I love them," he said softly.

Sugawara bit his lip and turned away, back facing to Aika and Kageyama, uneasy about the Nekoma captain's words. "I don't love her," was the only response he could form, but even then, it sounded weak, even to himself.

"That's a lie and we both know it."

He shifted again, his hands curling into fists. "No… I really don't love her. I like her, but it's not…"

"Love?" Kuroo moved right next to Sugawara and quirked an eyebrow, glancing down at the setter in disbelief. "Love is love, whether it's puppy love or true love, right? And if you feel that way about Aika, I'm just trying to warn you that if you don't tell her, she'll never know. She's kind of dumb like that." He chuckled, running a hand through his giant hair. "She can pinpoint anyone else's feelings, but when it comes to feelings about her, she's as oblivious as one can get. Some kind of fool she is, huh?"

With that, Kuroo pushed past Sugawara, leaving the Karasuno third year behind as he walked towards the stairs leading to the school.

"Ah." He turned his head lazily to aim a dark glare at Sugawara. "You're the one who made her cry last time you were here. So don't expect any mercy from any of Nekoma this time," he drawled threateningly, his lazy smile suddenly looking much more sinister.

Sugawara shivered a bit.

* * *

The first match of the day was against Fukurodani.

Aika, proudly clad in her black Karasuno jacket, sat on the bench with Ukai, who was more than happy to welcome her back to his side as his assistant. She held her familiar notebook in her hand as she watched the match begin.

The first point went in Fukurodani's favor as Kageyama - surprisingly - failed his first set.

It was too short for Hinata, and it fell to the ground right between the two players. Kageyama, red with embarrassment, tried to brush it off, despite the teasing from both Tanaka and Noya. He chanced a look over at Aika, who was giggling softly.

As he caught her eye, she smiled. "Don't mind," she said, waving her hand. "You guys will get it next time."

His entire body filled with reassurance at her words, and he nodded. "Right!" he practically shouted, bowing to her. When he stood, moving towards his original position on the court, he was unable to ignore the feeling of pure giddiness in his stomach and the quickening pace of his heartbeat.

He was sure his face was red, too.

The next time he tossed for Hinata, it went too far. Immediately, Kageyama swore internally as he realized that Hinata wasn't going to be able to hit it at all. It was going to sail past his head before it dropped.

 _Shoot! He's going to panic and-_

Hinata didn't panic.

Instead, he reached out with his left hand, hitting it with his bottom of his palm, and somehow managing to get it over the net, even if it was just barely. The ball dropped to Fukurodani's side of the court.

Kageyama could only watch in amazement, both boys staring at each other in shock and realization that something had changed.

The next surprise was a jump serve from Asahi, who leaped and served with all the power in his arsenal. It wasn't much of a surprise that it went out, but the fact that it went over the net was a relief to most. But Asahi wasn't pleased.

A failed synchronized attack was the next of Karasuno's new moves - Sugawara's set was fine, but it was out of rhythm with his spikers, Sawamura, Asahi, and Tanaka. Lots of yells of "sorry" and "don't mind" were echoing on their side of the court in specific.

As for Nishinoya's tosses, his enthusiasm got the best of him, and he jumped too far forwards to properly set the ball.

Kageyama couldn't help his own laughter as Aika laughed at the brutal teasing Nishinoya was receiving. He didn't notice how her gaze was softer as she stared at the boys she had grown to have so much affection for, but he did hear something else.

"You've all grown so much," she murmured, hastily writing down notes in her book. "I'm so proud of you all."

He looked over to her, his eyes settling on the upward curve of her lips, one that he found that he wanted to memorize. He could feel something swelling in his chest, something that wasn't the heat he usually felt at seeing her smile. It was more like pure, unadulterated affection for the girl who sat on the bench near him, watching them grow and change as people and as athletes.

 _She should always be smiling,_ he thought. _I'll make sure she's always happy._

* * *

Karasuno lost to Fukurodani, but that wasn't much of a surprise.

"So, what do you think?" Ukai asked as the boys did their sprints, the two watching over them as Shinzen and Ubugawa began to move onto the court for their match against each other. "We've done a lot of work in just a short amount of time."

"And you've come so far," she admitted, pulling her hair into a ponytail as flipped the pages of her notes. "You guys are like a puzzle, really. But there's one piece that isn't quite fitting."

Her eyes landed on the page labeled "Tsukishima, middle blocker" and narrowed. Ukai looked over her shoulder.

"Tsukishima, huh?"

Aika nodded. "Yeah. It's like he's not… really there, you know?" She bit her lip, not wanting to really speak ill of Tsukishima. "He works hard in his own way, but… I think he's like me," she admitted.

The coach looked over to her, surprised by her admission. "How so?" he asked curiously.

"I think it's a personal trauma that's affecting him so negatively. It's probably stemming from an incident in the past involving volleyball, something that made him lose his faith in the game. After all," she paused, wondering how to word it. "After all, it's just a game to him. Why should he put an effort into something that won't give anything back to him in the end?"

Ukai frowned. Her words made sense for someone like Tsukishima, who consistently said that Karasuno was "just a club." But that didn't mean he had to like it.

"I'm not saying that I'm right," she continued. "I'm just saying that… maybe we give him his own time. He'll come around."

"What do you mean by that?"

She snickered, looking over at the fierce match between Shinzen and Ubugawa, serve and block against synchronized attacks.

"I just mean that there's really no way he's going to come out of this camp the same person. You can't be stuck with all these people, all of whom love the sport with all of their hearts, and not find yourself feeling the same way."

 _Especially not with the boys of Nekoma in particular. They won't let him get away that easily._

* * *

The sun set on the first day of training camp with Karasuno having lost all of their games.

All twelve of the boys were understandably exhausted, but they all wanted to go do their own thing, continue practicing until they dropped. Every single one of them were raring to go, eager to see where their new skills would evolve.

Everyone but one.

Despite his angst and irritation, Tsukishima was unwittingly dragged into practice with the irritating cat captain and the weird owl whose laugh was just a bit too loud.

He wasn't happy about it though.

"Tetsu, I need some help with my leg… ah, you guys are still practicing?"

The boys turned in surprise to see Aika in her wheelchair again, her leg out of its cast, which was sitting on her lap. She rolled inside, humming as she examined the group of boys, one of whom was lying on the floor, surrounded by balls, absolutely exhausted. Choosing to ignore the unmoving form that once was Lev, she turned her gaze towards Tsukishima.

"Tsukishima, I didn't expect to see you here," she said, rolling to a stop in front of him.

Huffing, he crossed his arms and looked away from him. "I wasn't exactly given a choice," he practically spat, aiming a glare at Kuroo, who was only grinning that shit-eating grin from ear to ear.

Aika's response was to chuckle a bit. "Well, looks like Tetsu got you with his provocation, didn't he?" she asked in a melodic tone, one that was so soft and light that Tsukishima was surprised that it came from her.

"I did no such thing!" Kuroo denied, although he didn't exactly sound like he was eager to fight her accusations.

Sighing, the girl wheeled herself towards the sidelines of the court. "So, you guys are practicing blocking against poor Bokuto, are you?" she asked, pulling a notebook from a bag that hung on the back of her chair. "Just go easy on him, Tetsu. You know how he gets when he gets blocked too many times."

Bokuto practically shouted, "Aika!" in a tone that said he wasn't exactly excited about what she'd said.

"She isn't wrong though, Bokuto," Akaashi added dryly.

"Akaashi, not you, too!"

Tsukishima watched as she bantered with the boys from both Nekoma and Fukurodani, his eyes fixed on how comfortable she looked. It wasn't until after she left Karasuno that she'd become so open with other people.

 _Ah… even she's changed._

"By the way, four eyes," Bokuto began, crossing his arms as he turned back to Tsukishima, "you're real good at reading spikes."

"Don't change the subject, Bokuto," Akaashi said from beside the spiker, but was ignored.

"But your blocks are real weak! I'm scared I'm gonna break your skinny arms if I hit too hard!" The loud owl was crowing too much. "You gotta block like you mean it! Like with all the strength you've got!"

"I'm still growing, you know," Tsukishima shot back, puffing himself up to stand even above Bokuto's ridiculously spiked hair. "I'll be taller and more muscular in no time."

Kuroo snickered from the side. "Keep talking like that, and the shrimp's gonna outshine you as a blocker."

Tsukishima froze.

 _As if he hasn't already._

He wasn't surprised that others had noticed. After all, Hinata was the one that everyone watched. He was the one who shone the brightest, so brightly that all anyone - opponents and audience alike - could see.

And who was he?

He was Tsukishima. He was the opposite of Hinata.

"Tsukishima…"

He stalked out of the gym as the rest of the Nekoma team came in, their loud chatter almost immediately irritating him. He watched as their libero, Yaku, stood next to Aika and started yelling at Lev (who was, most decidedly, not dead).

He didn't notice Aika staring after him.

* * *

"That wasn't very nice, Tetsu."

The captain shrugged. "I didn't think it'd work out the way it did. I really thought he was one of those guys who always thought himself better than everyone around him," he admitted.

Aika hummed as he wheeled her back to where she was sleeping. "I mean, you're not wrong. Tsukishima thinks himself superior to Hinata in nearly everything. Volleyball… that's the one exception."

"Why so?" asked Kuroo, sounding somewhat interested in Aika's observations, although he knew she'd tell him even without him having to ask.

She looked up at him. "Because he doesn't really think himself to be talented or hard-working in this one thing. He doesn't have passion for it, so he doesn't feel like he could ever be superior to anyone in that regard."

Kuroo hummed. "Reminds me of you. Back when we were kids."

"Yeah. But not me now, I hope."

"You found what you loved about the sport. That's what changed."

Aika paused, realizing that Kuroo was right. She'd only fallen in love with volleyball when she'd found her calling as a setter and a playmaker. She'd always loved a mental challenge, and that's just what being the setter was.

 _Maybe… maybe that's what Tsukishima needs, too. To fall in love with volleyball._

* * *

 _Author's Note  
I won't make excuses for not updating for a little over 8 months. That'd be rude to you all.  
I'm very sorry about disappearing like I did. Some personal things happened, and they took a massive toll on me.  
To be honest, finding the inspiration to write has been difficult as of late.  
I wanted to finish a whole lot of things before I put myself in a position to write and post a chapter weekly like I used to.  
I think I pushed myself a bit too hard. I'm really sorry about that. But I'm going to try harder from now on.  
_

 _In other news, there's a new season of Haikyu coming out this fall! I'm so excited.  
Where I am in the manga is going to be amazing animated. I hope you're all as ready as I am for this season.  
I'm very much looking forward to seeing certain matches on the screen, as well as some new characters.  
_

 _Anyways, thank you all for your support. Getting emails about this story really helped me pull myself out of my funk.  
_

 _-Chiyuki_


	38. Repair

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 38: Repair

" _You know, you don't have to hate volleyball."_

* * *

The next day was filled with nothing but losses for Karasuno, one game after another, as they tried to piece together the puzzle that they were currently. Sprints had become a regular event for them after each game, unable to take many points off their opponents, no matter who they were.

Things were lively as everyone worked hard to keep their heads up and improve the skills they'd desired to learn in the first place.

Their reward was watermelon that the Shinzen parents had bought for the athletes.

"Kageyama, slow down," Aika laughed as the setter practically devoured his slice. "The melon isn't going anywhere fast. You can take your time with eating it, you know."

He glanced at her, his cheeks puffy with watermelon. Quickly swallowing his food, he glanced at her half-eaten slice. "I don't think I eat fast," he replied softly. "You're just slow." Pouting at him, the girl took an extra large bite of her slice, like she was trying to prove a point. Almost immediately, though, she began coughing, choking on her slice. "And you told me to slow down!"

He panicked, rubbing her back as she struggled to swallow the melon she'd eaten, a bite that was much too big for her. She managed, but she still coughed afterwards, fanning herself like that would help her. "That was a mistake. I'm never doing that again," she managed through her coughs.

"I told you that you're a slow eater, but I never said it was a bad thing." He continued to rub her back with one hand as he took another bite of his watermelon - a smaller one this time.

She clearly noticed this, as she took a bite that was about the same size.

He couldn't help the smile at her antics.

* * *

" _If I hated volleyball, I wouldn't be playing it."_

* * *

The day ended with another loss for the Karasuno boys, and they had to run even more sprints before the sun set.

As Tsukishima and Yamaguchi approached the doorway, having finished their sprints, two water bottles were practically thrust into their faces. Both looked up to see the smiling face of the gentle giant of Karasuno.

"Ah, thank you, Azumane senpai," Yamaguchi said, smiling in relief as he took the water bottle from the third year. Tsukishima was silent as he took his.

The trio moved away from the doorway as the rest of the team filed in, leaning against the wall. "Yamaguchi, you're getting a lot better at those serves of yours," Asahi congratulated, his tone proud as he looked at his underclassmen. "I have to improve, too."

"Azumane." Both turned to Tsukishima. "Doesn't it bother you? Feeling like someone's creeping up behind you?" he asked, focusing on his water bottle instead of on Asahi.

Asahi laughed lightly, looking a bit stressed at the idea, but still calm. "I can't say that I'm not exactly unbothered by it," he admitted. Tsukishima allowed himself to look at Asahi's face grow determined. "But I think I understand him. If there's something he wants, he's going to go after it. He got the rest of us all fired up to do the same."

"Well, don't get complacent," Tsukishima warned, his tone joking, but his words serious. "He might end up coming after you again because he's so focused."

Pushing himself off the wall, Asahi allowed himself a small laugh. "I don't plan on it. Because we're both rivals with him to be the best in our position, you and I know best how much he's grown. He's not so little anymore."

There was a pause, in which Tsukishima realized that Asahi was right - that Hinata had worked hard to be so good, and to rise to the level that he was. He'd grown as a player, and that bothered Tsukishima for some reason.

"But I won't lose - not to him, and not to anyone else."

* * *

" _You don't hate it, you say. But it's clear that you don't have any passion for it."_

* * *

Kageyama tossed against the wall as Aika sat right under where the ball was, giving him an extra challenge to avoid hitting her. "You're lucky that Azumane senpai was there during your game against Ubugawa," she suddenly said as she scribbled in her notes.

"Yeah. Azumane senpai was really vocal about it today." He paused, catching the ball as it came back to him. "Vocal isn't the right word, but you know what I mean."

She nodded, looking up from her notes. "It was like he radiated whatever it was he wanted to say, and he wasn't shy about it."

"But Hinata realized it loud and clear. Which means things are changing, right?"

"I suppose… but there's still a lot of work to be done." He sighed, knowing she was telling the truth, but not really liking it. At the downtrodden look in his eyes, she quickly amended, "I'm sure you'll be fine! Everyone's doing really well, plus there's still the rest of the training camp to do something!"

Kageyama allowed himself to mirror her grin.

It was the one she'd worn when she told him that she believed in them before the Interhigh, the one she'd worn when she told them that she was proud of them, even after their loss to Aoba Josai. It was the smile that said "you can do it."

He wanted to believe that.

"I won't let you down," he vowed loudly, his voice echoing throughout the gym, causing several people to look up at them. "I'm going to become the best setter you've ever seen!"

For a moment, Aika only stared at him, as did the rest of Karasuno, all of the ones who were still practicing in the gym. But she then burst into laughter, loud and sincere. He stared at her, not knowing how to react.

She pushed herself up, leaning against the wall to look him in the face. "I know you'll become the best, Kageyama," she replied softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

He couldn't help his blush as she grinned at him. He bowed to her, wanting his promise to become one that she knew he was serious about.

"I will, you just watch!"

* * *

" _Why should I have any passion for volleyball? It's just a sport."_

* * *

Aika wheeled herself out of the Karasuno gym, calling "Thank you for the hard work!" and hearing the same called back at her, before closing the door. She hummed a bit, wondering just where Tsukishima went directly after practice.

A lot had changed in just one day of long, hard practice.

Asahi had solidified his position as the ace, and had basically thrown down a declaration that he would _never_ let Hinata take the position from him, not as long as he was on Karasuno, and it was a declaration that Hinata respected.

Kageyama and Hinata had begun to fix the relationship that had seemed so irreparably damaged thanks to the argument at the weekend training camp. Both were recognizing each other's hard work and strengths.

Karasuno as a whole was coming together - not quickly, but she could see how the puzzle pieces were falling into place. They'd be a hard team to fight against once all of them began to utilize their new skills properly.

"Aika."

She stopped her wheelchair and turned her head to see Sugawara, out of breath, behind her. He looked at her with determined hazel eyes.

"Can we talk?" he asked, his voice soft, but firm.

She sighed internally, knowing that she wasn't going to get out of it so easily. "Of course, Suga senpai. I think we definitely need to, don't we?" He nodded in reply, but no other words were exchanged.

Both parties knew exactly what the conversation was going to be about.

He pushed her wheelchair out of the building, and towards the stairs that led to the parking lot. "Here, is this okay?" She nodded, and he helped her out of her wheelchair to sit on the top of the stairs.

The two were silent, neither of them really knowing how to start the conversation that they so desperately needed to have.

Aika struggled for words. It was hard to find what she wanted to say, especially to someone she still cared for and respected. But she knew that she had to fix things. Leaving them the way she left them before Karasuno returned to Miyagi last time would only worsen things. It had to come to an end. She just didn't know how to end it.

"I'm sorry."

It wasn't her that spoke.

Sugawara looked down at his feet as he apologized. "I'm really sorry, Aika," he murmured.

"Suga senpai…"

He cut her off before she could say anything. "Please, let me finish. I have to say something before I lose my nerve." He laughed sadly, a small, self-deprecating smile coming over his face. "I knew what you were going to say before you said it, but I just… I felt like I couldn't let you say it. I was convinced that us being together would ruin your options later. Even if you were unhappy, you'd stay because when you care too much, you stay. I rejected you because I wanted you to have the ability to leave." He ran a hand through his hair.

Aika sighed. "You never said anything like that, Suga senpai," she replied, her voice filled with hurt over what she'd just learned.

"I know. That was my own fear consuming me."

"But I'm the same way." She let out a bitter chuckle as she grasped the hem of her skirt in her fists. "I didn't want to tell you how I felt because I was scared that you'd stay with me, even if you got a better opportunity. I thought dating someone who would potentially hold you back from going big places wouldn't be good for someone as great as you," she admitted.

Sugawara only stared at the younger girl for a second. His hands shook, and he was unable to fight the thing that he wanted most.

His arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her so her back was against his chest. He nuzzled his face into her hair, feeling his shoulders shaking from the weight of his own emotions. It felt right, holding her in his arms like this.

But at the same time, it didn't feel like love.

"Suga senpai." Her soft voice floated to his ears. "I really care about you. And I think you're a great person. But… right now, we're together… and it doesn't feel the same now as when I knew how I felt."

He couldn't help his smile. He held her a little tighter, just to keep her close for just another moment. "I feel the same, Aika. I still care for you, but… maybe it's not romantic anymore," he said.

She turned her head to look at him, a small smile on her face. "So, in the end, neither of us have anything to apologize for. We can't apologize for a heartbreak we didn't cause, right?"

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We don't need to be dating to be close," he joked, a teasing smile on his face. "Plus, I still think that there's someone else you care about even more than you'd ever cared about me."

"Who?" She blinked in confusion.

He hummed, still teasing her. "He's taller than me, and he's got dark hair, right? And he's probably the smartest guy on the court." He paused, gauging her reaction. When she didn't react like she knew who he was talking about, he added, "Although, he's not really the smartest person off the court, you know?"

At that, she turned bright red, her entire face covered by a blush. He grinned, knowing that she knew exactly who he was talking about. She stuttered, opening and closing her mouth, looking more like a fish than like the dignified girl he was used to.

After a moment, she looked down, fidgeting as her blush receded into just her cheeks.

"I do… care about him, too."

Her admission was so quiet that Sugawara almost missed it. But he did manage to hear it, and he couldn't fight the swell of affection he had for her. His lips pulled upwards upon seeing how hesitant she was to really admit or accept her feelings.

 _I knew it._

* * *

" _But it's not just a club. We're a team, and we look out for each other, on and off the court. And you're a part of that, Tsukishima."_

* * *

Everyone had been lecturing him as of late - first Kuroo and Bokuto lectured him about his weak blocking, then Yamaguchi lectured him about how he hated that Tsukishima wasn't even trying to fight to become better, and now, the same night, Aika was lecturing him about his feelings.

Tsukishima hated having to listen to others. He hated that he was allowing some stupid sport to affect him so heavily, especially one that he had so much contempt for. He may not have hated volleyball, but he hated what it stood for.

 _Failure. Weakness. Giving your all to something that will never give anything back._

But what he hated most was that he didn't really hate volleyball at all.

He knew that Aika was an observant person, but he didn't think that she'd sacrifice her night, one that she could spend with the ball of sunshine or the King, the two people she cared most about on the team, so that she could watch a stupid blocking practice with him and a bunch of stupid people.

She'd already dedicated enough to the sport. She had given everything she had - not just during the day, when she spent it helping Karasuno, coming right back to them, but also in allowing her dedication to it drag her wherever it wanted to go.

He didn't fully understand how, after a long day of practice, she could want to keep practicing with the fools on Karasuno.

"I know I'm a part of this joke of a team," he muttered as he wheeled Aika away from the gym. "It doesn't mean that I have to like it."

She looked right up at him, a frown on her face. "But you do like it, Tsukishima. It's more like… you don't believe anything will come out of giving everything to a sport." She paused. "Do you want to talk about it? Why you're scared to give volleyball your all?"

"No."

His answer was immediate.

"Well, I'm here to listen if you need me," she continued, practically ignoring his response. "It's not really a good idea to bottle it all up. I want you to keep evolving as a player, but this is going to hold you back."

He fixed his gaze on her, curious as to what she meant.

"I just think that… if you're not prepared to give your all to being part of this team, you shouldn't be on it. I don't want to see that happen, but it's not fair to those of us that are trying our best. Everyone is here because they love the sport and they want to win. So, if those don't apply to you, why are you here?"

For a second, Tsukishima didn't reply.

"It's not really anyone's business but mine," he finally said.

She frowned even further, her eyes narrowing at him. "You know, I know what it's like to feel how you feel," she admitted. He froze, the wheelchair coming to a stop as her words hit him. He stared at her as she merely stared straight ahead. "To think that you give your all to volleyball, only to have it betray you. I know that better than anyone." Her hand reached for the leg that had nearly ruined her life.

"But you're still here." His face was blank, his eyes expressionless, as he asked, "Why? Even after all of this, you're still giving everything you have to a sport that only hurt you in return. Why would you do that?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "I am. It's because volleyball gave me what I needed most. Even if it took away my ability to play, it gave me the people I care about. Shoyo and Kageyama, Suga senpai, Ken, Tetsu… and everyone on our team, including you."

His eyes widened.

 _Me?_

"I think that volleyball isn't something you can just let go of, though. Even if it hurts you, it's a game that keeps you always thinking that you can keep growing. And I think that's what's most important about it. Not winning or losing, but letting yourself keep growing."

She paused, letting herself laugh a little.

"Ah, but that's just me. You're probably a bit different from that."

 _Maybe. But maybe just a little bit different._


	39. Alliance

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 39: Alliance

"Yo, Karasuno." A rather tall, lithe-looking boy with the same wine red hair as their assistant coach appeared at the doorway. "I'm looking for my baby sister?"

A volleyball came flying at him, effectively hitting him in the chest. "I'm not a baby, Shin," Aika shot back, her tone and expression both sincerely unamused by her brother's wording. She pushed herself off the bench, limping her way over to him. "Thanks for picking me up though."

"Eh?! Where are you going?!" Hinata asked, his loud voice ringing through the gymnasium.

Gently thumping the extra loud boy on the head, Sugawara replied, "She's going to physical therapy. We want her to be able to walk without hurting herself, right?" Hinata nodded quickly, looking like a dog whose tail would be wagging.

"Tetsu." The Nekoma captain looked up at the siblings, but noticeably avoided looking at Aika's brother. "You should come with us."

He looked clearly displeased. "Eh? Why me?" he drawled.

"Because you're the one who recommended this physical therapist to me?" she shot back in the same tone, crossing her arms. She still looked wholly unamused. "Plus, this is my last session in Tokyo, so I figured you guys would want to celebrate."

Kuroo didn't look like he could argue that. Clearly, he wanted to congratulate Aika on nearly being fully recovered, and send her off kindly.

"Why can't Kenma come?" he finally asked.

The Nekoma setter rolled his eyes. "I went last week. And I bought her dinner," he retorted. "It's your turn, Kuroo. You brought her here, so send her off nicely."

He grumbled, but agreed. "Fine. But I get to decide where we're going."

At that, Tsukishima pushed off the wall. "I'll come, too. I haven't had anything but the same three foods for nearly a week." Although he sounded like he wanted to come for his own sake, he stood next to Aika.

It hadn't escaped anyone's notice that since the fourth day of training camp, Tsukishima and Aika had grown a bit closer. The next day, she'd sat in on their practice 3-on-3 match, dutifully taking notes the entire time. Tsukishima had even been incredibly open about asking her for her opinion on the match, even before Hinata.

He'd even wheeled her back to her room afterwards, the two chatting all the while about something or other.

"Eh? Tsukki, you want to come, too?" Kuroo looked at the first year with something akin to suspicion. But Tsukishima didn't quite back down.

"First off, it's Tsukishima," the tall blonde shot back, irritation rolling off of him. "But yeah, I'm coming. You said we'd do a game after dinner today, so I figured we'll just go to dinner, then come back and play." He grinned mockingly at Kuroo. "Unless you're not really a man of your word."

Kuroo glared. "Damn it," he muttered.

As the Nekoma team teased their captain for being outsmarted by a baby crow, Kageyama watched as Aika gave Tsukishima a thumbs up. Tsukishima, looking satisfied, just nodded back at her.

* * *

"How's your leg doing?" Tsukishima asked, looking down at the girl whose wheelchair he was walking besides. "That looked like it hurt a bit."

She smiled weakly. "It's not so bad. It's just a bit hard to move my leg in the way that I had to." She rubbed at her bandaged leg and grinned up at her teammate. "Anyways, I'm fine but where did you want to go to eat?"

"I'm kind of craving Chinese food," he admitted.

"Hey, hey, you two." Both looked to Kuroo, who was walking ahead of the group. "Since Ai roped me into paying, I get to choose, got it?"

A chuckle from behind Aika reminded the three that Shin was there with them. The older Yamada quickly suggested, "Actually, shouldn't Ai get to choose? This is for her, isn't it?" He offered his own grin, but Kuroo wasn't having it.

"Fine, fine. Just choose already." The cat was grumbling, doing whatever it took to ignore Shin's presence.

Noticing his old friend's strange behavior, Shin looked downtrodden, hurt by Kuroo's blatant ignorance of him. Aika looked at her brother, clearly unhappy about the hurt he was showing, then glared at Kuroo's back. If her eyes were lasers, Kuroo would have a giant hole in his back.

Tsukishima frowned. "Yamada. May I wheel her for a while?" he suddenly asked.

Shin, still looking clearly hurt, nodded. He moved, allowing Tsukishima to take over for him in wheeling the girl's chair. She looked up at him, smiling sadly.

"They've been like this all summer."

"Yeah." He nodded. "You told me yesterday. So… this is why you asked me to come with you?" he asked.

She sighed and tugged at her own fingers, trying to distract herself. "I just want things to be like they used to. I know it's stupid, but Shin and Tetsu both really care about each other. And they still do. They're just stubborn idiots, and they don't want to admit it," she explained quietly, watching as Shin and Kuroo walked next to each other, neither of them saying anything.

"I can understand that," he admitted. "Wanting the people you love most to be close again. But do you really think that this will work?"

Shrugging, the girl looked up with a sort of grin. "If you force them to sit down and talk to each other, I'm sure that things will change. It's always been that way with them."

Once again, Tsukishima looked to the two third years, both of whom were silent. He heaved a sigh, furrowing his brow as he muttered, "I hope you're right about this."

* * *

"Hey, Kageyama."

Kageyama paused in shoving food down his throat, looking up to see Sugawara sitting across from him. He pursed his lips, still having yet to forgive his upperclassman for hurting the girl Kageyama had so suddenly realized he had such deep feelings for.

"I know we haven't really talked since… since everything happened. But I thought you deserve to know that I talked with Aika." Kageyama froze at Sugawara's words. He looked over to the other setter, fear clutching at his chest. "I told her how I felt."

That fear gripped his heart even tighter, squeezing as hard as it could. "And?" he asked, trying not to sound as desperately curious as he knew he was.

"And she rejected me," he admitted, smiling cheerily.

Kageyama could only stare for a moment as his mind worked to process what he'd just heard. It was hard to believe that it was the truth.

"She… she rejected you?"

Sugawara nodded easily. "Yeah. We talked it out. She's moved on pretty well, and I think we're just going to remain friends. I still care about her a lot, but… well, it's better like this." He sounded unperturbed by his own admissions, but it bothered Kageyama quite a bit.

"Wha…"

"She tends to do that." Another person sat besides Sugawara, a boy with brown roots that contrasted his blonde dye job. "She take things hard at first, but once she processes something, she doesn't let it bother her anymore," Kenma explained, looking Kageyama dead in the eye.

Sugawara blinked, but then smiled knowingly. "Ah, Kenma. You here to talk to Kageyama?"

The second year nodded. "Yes. It's been a bit hard since Kuroo and Aika are always around, but since they're both out now, it seemed like a good time." He paused, taking a long sip of water, but never moving his cat-eyed gaze away from Kageyama. A few moments of silence followed, in which Kageyama wasn't sure of what to say. "Look." Kenma practically slammed his glass back against the table. "Ai isn't… she doesn't take risks when it comes to personal stuff. Kuroo always made fun of her 'cause she never told the guy she liked in elementary that she liked him, even though he thought it was obvious he liked her back."

"Why didn't she?"

Kenma hummed, pushing his food around on his plate. "Because she was unsure. It wasn't something with a complete chance of going in her favor, so she never took the risk," he admitted softly. "But she's also oblivious whenever someone likes her. She won't make a move unless she knows, and she won't know unless you tell her."

"So basically…" Sugawara began, trailing off in amusement.

The Nekoma setter nodded, looking up once again at Kageyama. "Basically, you're going to have to make the first move. But she won't wait around for long. I'd confess before volleyball takes over her life again." He paused, hesitating. "Someone once made the mistake of waiting too long. He never got another chance," he finished slowly.

Kageyama could only watch as Kenma stood, taking his tray with him, and walking back over to the table that the rest of Nekoma sat at. He could see that Lev was pestering his setter about what business he'd had with Karasuno, only to have Kenma attempt to ignore him.

"Well." He turned back to Sugawara, who was grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "You know what you have to do now, don't you?"

He slowly nodded. "I'm… I'm gonna tell her how I feel," he said quietly.

"Good." Sugawara's grin only grew wider, and he looked behind Kageyama. "I'm sure we'll all be waiting to see how this ends up for the two of you."

Kageyama, confused, followed his gaze, turning around to see what Sugawara was looking at behind him. Leaning against the wall stood several other members of Karasuno, including Sawamura, Asahi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka. His face immediately turned a deep scarlet and he let out a loud yell, not knowing what else to do.

He could hear Sugawara laughing at him in the background.

* * *

The table of four was completely silent as everyone struggled to find a good conversation starter. Aika, who sat next to Shin, looked desperately at Tsukishima, who was across from her. He shook his head; he didn't know what to say, either.

Aika looked between her brother and her old friend. She'd wanted them to talk, but they weren't saying anything with the two first years sitting next to them. Glancing back to Tsukishima, she saw that he was nodding, probably having figured out what she'd also realized.

"I'm getting pretty tired," she suddenly announced, stretching her arms in the air. "I think I'm going to head back to Shinzen."

Shin looked at her in bewilderment. "Ai, you haven't eaten though! You barely touched your food at all!" He sounded concerned and surprised.

Tsukishima stood from his seat, moving to pull Aika's wheelchair from the table. "She mentioned earlier that she was feeling a little sick after the therapy," he quickly made up, offering his most professional smile to Shin, the one he only wore when he was trying to bullshit someone around him.

Aika quickly nodded. "Yeah, and Tsukishima can take care of me from here. It's just getting me back to the school."

"I'm not that hungry, either," he added. "Aika's health is my bigger concern."

Kuroo looked between the two, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he said nothing. Tsukishima pulled her chair away. He bowed politely to the two older boys before making a beeline for the restaurant doors, pushing Aika all the way.

Silence fell between the two once more.

It was one of those uncomfortable silences where no one knew what to say.

"Um, Tetsuro." All eyes turned to Shin, who was gazing at his nearly-full plate. "I never got to say thank you. For all that you've been doing for Ai."

There was a hint of red on Kuroo's cheeks, but he spoke as if he wasn't at all embarrassed by the praise. "It was nothing. I'm sure you'd have done the same if you could've," he replied, reaching for his utensils to hide his blush.

Shin smiled softly at his old friend, nothing but affection in his eyes, the ones that were the same soft brown as his sister's. "Yeah, but you did it. And that means a lot to me. So… thank you." His beam was so kind that Kuroo was taken aback for a moment.

But his own lips settled in a sincere, gentle smile. "It's been nearly a decade since I saw you smile like that," he murmured.

"Eh?!" Shin's eyes went wide, a bright pink flush washing over his pale skin.

His own eyes going wide at the realization that he spoke aloud, Kuroo began to stutter, searching for the words to explain himself. He waved his arms around crazily, nearly dropping his chopsticks in the process. He paused when he took notice of Shin's blush, and the way his long-time crush fidgeted in his seat, his fingers twirling one of his chopsticks, the other forgotten in his food.

Softening, he reached out to grab Shin's hand. A pair of soft, brown eyes fixed on him.

"I never heard you out that weekend. You wanted to say something to me," he murmured. "I ran away. But… whatever you want to say, I just want you to know that I wasn't joking when we were kids. I really do want to be with you."

Shin's hand turned and reached for Kuroo's, wrapping around his hand. Shin's hands, unlike Kuroo's, were soft and uncalloused. Of course they were, he didn't play sports. He was going to major in marine biology, so it made sense that his hands were so soft.

Kuroo's, on the other hand, were rough. His palms and a few of his fingers were covered in calluses, left behind after the impact of a volleyball hit the same place a few too many times.

"You never let me reply," Shin said quietly. "Not when I left, and not when I came back. And you never reached out. I assumed… you were angry."

The rooster-haired captain grinned. "Yet you knew we were going to Nekoma," he teased.

Shin shrugged. "Kenma wrote every once in a while. Mostly Christmas cards."

Kuroo held Shin's hand tighter, squeezing it, like holding his hand would tell him all about the affection that Kuroo held for him, the same affection that never died, even after ten years of being apart.

"I'm sorry. I thought I'd made things awkward," Kuroo admitted. "I assumed that you didn't feel the same way, so I avoided you. I didn't want to force you to remain friends with someone who made you uncomfortable."

Shin shook his head, his wine red hair flying all around his face. "No! Tetsuro, you… you never let me finish." He fidgeted, his fingers rubbing the back of Kuroo's hand. "I love you. I've always loved you."

 _I've always loved you._

Kuroo's eyes went wide, wider than they'd ever gone before.

He could feel tears welling up, threatening to spill over and run down his cheeks. He stood and fished his wallet from his pocket, practically throwing money onto the table. All the while, he never let go of Shin's hand. Pulling Shin up from his seat, he led his friend - his only love - out of the restaurant and down the street.

It felt like an eternity that they walked, but in reality, it was probably about ten minutes. They walked back to Shinzen High School, stopping in the parking lot.

"Tetsuro?"

"Sorry." He turned to Shin with a soft smile. "I didn't want to make a scene in the restaurant."

Shin didn't even have a moment to respond before Kuroo's lips were on his, pressing a kiss filled with all the love he'd held, bottled up inside of him, for nearly a decade. He could feel Kuroo's fingers running through his hair, his other hand resting on his back. Shin moved one hand to Kuroo's arm, the other to his cheek.

It wasn't anything big. There were no real fireworks or anything like that.

To the two of them, it was merely a relief. All the feelings they'd hidden for so long finally came rushing out. As they pulled away, Shin couldn't help the childish smile.

"You don't know how long I've waited for that, Tetsuro."

Kuroo grinned in reply.

"If it's any bit as long as I have, then I think I do know."


	40. Hopes

Haikyu!  
Higher  
Chapter 40: Hopes

Tsukishima helped Aika up the stairs, allowing her to lean on him as she struggled to move her tired leg.

"Hey, Tsukishima." He hummed in response, looking at her. "You called me Aika earlier." He could see her smiling at the idea of him calling her by her first name. "It was nice. It made us feel like friends, you know? I like that."

He scoffed. "You said so yourself a while back. We are friends," he deadpanned, looking down at her with an unamused face.

"Then… can I call you Kei?"

Her innocent question made his eyes widen as he quickly turned to her. He stared down at the girl with a small smile playing across her lips. There was a softness somewhere in her eyes, one that told him that she wasn't making fun of him at all, that it wasn't just a joke. She really wanted to call him by his first name.

Sighing, he turned his gaze back to the road ahead of them. "Why would you want to call me by my first name? You don't even call Kageyama by his," he muttered.

"Well…" She fidgeted, rubbing her arm with her hand and biting her lip as she looked at her lap. "I guess it's because I'm too nervous to ask him. I-It's the same with Sugawara senpai," she admitted softly.

Tsukishima blinked at her, then snickered quietly, trying to hide it from her. "Then, I'll let you call me Kei. But on one condition." She turned her gaze upwards in confusion, only to see him with a small smirk on his face. "Before the training camp is over, you have to call Kageyama by his first name, too."

He nearly laughed at how red her face turned. She began stuttering, trying to find some form of excuse to get her out of it. He laughed openly at her sudden burst of shyness.

"K-Kei!" she protested.

"Well, you already called me Kei, so no going back now." He slowly reached down to ruffle her hair, unable to resist taunting her just a little bit.

She pouted, crossing her arms. "No fair."

The two fell silent for a moment afterwards, Aika's arms eventually falling back to rest in her lap.

"I'm sure he won't want me to call him by his first name," she said softly, sadness and worry in her voice. "I'm sure everyone's realized by now what happened between me and Sugawara senpai. But if they didn't, I'm sure that they know."

He scoffed. "It doesn't matter. No one holds anything against anyone," he retorted.

"Really?" She sounded doubtful.

Nodding, Tsukishima reached up to run a hand through his hair. "Everyone was more upset at Sugawara senpai than you. When they found out he made you cry, I think a bunch of them wanted to punch him. Of course, Hinata was at the forefront." He chuckled a little, remembering how the small, orange-haired boy had nearly charged at Sugawara, and probably would have hurt him if not for Tanaka.

She giggled a bit as well. "Sounds like Shoyo."

"But seriously. I think everyone except for you can see that the King would do anything for you. If you called him by his first name," he paused, searching for the right words, "it'd probably make him really happy."

He could see the red flush spreading across her face again.

"If… if it makes him happy, then I'll call him by his first name."

It was a quiet declaration, but a determined one.

* * *

"Ah! I think I see Aika and Tsukishima coming back!"

Yachi's announcement made the rest of Karasuno flock to the doorway, but Kageyama stayed put, and turned away from the door. He bit his lip, his mind filled with sudden doubts and concerns about the newfound nature of the relationship between Aika and Tsukishima.

"Kageyama? Don't you want to see her?" He looked behind him as he picked up a volleyball from the cart, seeing Yachi staring curiously at him.

Glaring at the ball instead, he shook his head wildly. "No…"

She hummed for a moment. "You know, I don't think their relationship is anything romantic," she admitted. Kageyama immediately stood up straight, whirling around to look at the small girl in surprise. She quickly waved her hands in front of her. "I-I'm not trying to make assumptions or anything! It just comes off like that!"

"Like… not romantic?" he asked weakly.

Seeing the usually proud setter so vulnerable, Yachi immediately nodded, trying to cheer him up. "Yeah! I think that Tsukishima sees her as a friend or a little sister or something, but I don't think that either of them like each other!" she announced proudly.

Kageyama nearly sighed in relief. "Well… I…" he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

For a moment, he could practically feel Yachi's gaze on him, attempting to piece together the puzzle that was his sudden range of emotions. "You really do like her, don't you?" she finally asked, a smile tinting her words.

Trying his best not to yell, he shot up again, his spine as straight as a board. "How… well, I… Yeah, I mean…" He struggled for words, somehow struggling to fully explain himself to the young manager. Sighing, he turned to face her, looking directly into her eyes. "Yachi… how do I ask a girl to go out with me?"

Yachi's eyes widened. She began to panic, not fully knowing how to respond to him. "Um… I'm not super experienced in that area, so I may not be the best person to ask," she replied weakly. "Actually, I've never… been asked out before."

He frowned, but persisted. "But… say someone was to ask you out. How would you want him to do it?" he rephrased, desperation leaking into his voice.

She took a moment, thinking hard, as he deserved the best answer she could possibly give him. "To be honest, I wouldn't particularly care about how he asked me out," she admitted quietly. "If I liked him enough, the how wouldn't matter. I would just want him to be himself." She offered Kageyama a small, shy smile.

He simply stared at the young manager who'd become a good friend to him over the past few weeks.

"Be myself, huh?"

Yachi nodded, a bright smile on her face. She pumped her fist in the air, the excitement that she showed reminding him a bit of Hinata. "Yeah! After all, if Aika supposedly likes you back, then she already likes you for who you are, right?" She grinned, fully showing her teeth.

At her smile, Kageyama couldn't help but be grateful for her seemingly unyielding optimism, especially when it came to his tosses, and now, to his relationships. It helped him realize that he wasn't fighting either of those fights alone. He couldn't help the smallest smile of determination that tugged at his lips.

"Thanks, Yachi. I appreciate it."

She flushed from embarrassment, but nodded back with a smile.

* * *

Aika fidgeted as her wheelchair sat outside of the gym that Kageyama was currently practicing his tosses in. Tsukishima, who'd wheeled her up to the school, stood behind her, watching her in slight amusement.

"Kei, I can't just… go in there and call him 'Tobio' without telling him," she grumbled, glancing up at him, like she was begging him to reassure her that she didn't have to do it.

He snickered. "Well, you could always just stop calling me 'Kei' if you're so adamant about not doing it," he drawled.

She glared, crossing her arms. "If you hate it that much, then fine."

His teasing smirk formed a slight frown as he reached down to gently clip the back of her head. "Aika. You're going to do this, whether you like it or not." Ignoring her other protests, he pushed the door open and wheeled her inside. "If you want a relationship with him, then you should have known that this kind of thing was a possibility."

"I never said-!"

"Aika, Tsukishima. Welcome back. We were just about to go off to eat," Sawamura cut her off, his so-called "Captain Smile" on his face. "What are you planning to do the rest of your night?"

For a moment, she hesitated. The familiar warmth of Tsukishima behind her suddenly moved away from her.

He walked back towards the door, waving his hand lazily. "Whether I want to or not, I'm sure the owl and the cat will both summon me to block for them," he said, his voice light and uncaring. "See you later."

"Kei, you garbage person!" she shouted after him, embarrassment taking over her body. "At least take me with you!"

Turning back to look at her, his hand on the door frame, he rolled his eyes. "Loser. Other people need your help, too." Without waiting for her to respond, he jogged out of the gym, probably to find Bokuto and maybe Kuroo.

"Well, that's that. We'll see you later, too, Aika." Sawamura clapped her on the shoulder.

She could only watch as the Karasuno boys - except for Hinata and Kageyama, left the gym, going off to get dinner. She frowned, feeling like she'd been set up.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she turned her wheelchair around, only to see a pair of legs standing in front of her. Her eyes widened as she looked up, only to gaze right into Kageyama's steely eyes. He looked down at her, concern in his eyes.

"You weren't in a wheelchair before you left," he commented softly. "Did something happen?"

Aika flushed under his worried stare. "N-no." She cursed herself for stuttering, choosing to glance down at her hands to hide her red cheeks. "It's just that, um, physical therapy can leave my legs too sore to walk afterwards, so… I-I just wanted to be careful," she managed to get through it without too many fumbles, but she swore that her face was growing warmer and warmer as she spoke.

His steely eyes softened as he knelt in front of her chair, peering up at her. "Aika. Is something the matter?" She didn't look up, winding her fingers together even tighter. "You're not looking at me," he sounded hurt and sad.

Guilt struck her right in her chest at his words, and she slowly looked up at him. Her heartbeat quickened as she met his eyes. She could feel the breath leaving her body as she realized that, as she was looking at him, she could only think that he was incredibly handsome. Her chest suddenly felt tight, and her skin felt like she was being set on fire.

It was like how she had once felt about Sugawara, but also, completely different.

This feeling that she had around Kageyama was _more_ than that.

"Aika?"

Pulling herself. "Sorry…" she paused, hesitating.

" _If you called him by his first name, it'd probably make him really happy."_

All hesitation drained from her at the memory of Tsukishima's somehow reassuring bluntness, the one that told her that he wasn't just making fun of her, but that he firmly believed that it would make Kageyama happy if she called him by his first name.

"Tobio."

Almost immediately, he turned a bright red, his face overheating. There was practically smoke coming from his ears as he sputtered, searching for words.

"W-what… I, Aika… what are…. Aika?!"

The shade of her skin began to mirror his as the full weight of her words hit her. "I-I'm sorry!" she managed. "I-It was just that, um, Kei! He, uh… he!"

The two of them sat in front of each other for a moment, searching for words as they struggled in the face of the person they liked. After a few moments of awkwardness, she fell silent, not wanting to explain that she was practically blackmailed into the situation by one Kei Tsukishima. Kageyama was quiet soon afterwards, and he stared at her staring at her hands.

"Aika." She didn't look at him, even though he was directly in front of her. He sighed, standing, and aimed his gaze towards the other side of the net. "Can you toss for me? You don't have to move or anything."

Her head snapped up at those words, her eyes wide. "To… Kageyama… why?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I just want to practice with you."

Her lips flapped for a moment, gaping at him in absolute shock. "I-I'm rusty, I can't guarantee that you'll get a good toss, and-"

"I don't care about that." He looked back at her, his eyes glittering. "I just want to hit one of your tosses."

For a moment, she was silent, just staring at him.

She heaved a giant sigh, one so theatrical he couldn't believe it was real. And she reached a hand out, bracing herself to move from her wheelchair.

"Help me up."

He grabbed her by the hand, gently pulling her smaller frame to stand next to him. Her hand was small in his, delicate, but he knew that she worked hard to put all of her strength into those hands. He held her hand a bit tighter as he stared down at her.

"You can call me Tobio if you want."

* * *

"Hey, shrimp and glasses."

Both Karasuno players glared at the tall Nekoma captain who was standing behind them in the gym. He grinned that cat-like grin as they glared.

"Sorry, sorry. I mean, Hinata and Tsukishima."

The boys perked up when they heard their names. It was probably the first time that Kuroo had actually called them by their names, rather than some stupid nickname. His cat-like grin had fallen away, and he seemed gentler, more serious, than they'd seen him in the past.

"You both do a lot for Ai. Thanks for looking out for her. I haven't been the best of friends to her this past few weeks, but I'm glad she has both of you. It makes me more comfortable to send her back to Sendai."

Exchanging a look, Hinata and Tsukishima both bowed. Hinata fell into a complete right angle, while Tsukishima merely bowed his head.

"I'll keep looking after her! I'm gonna keep watching out for Aika for as long as I can!" Hinata announced, his loud voice ringing throughout the entire gym as loudly as possible.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, but added, "She said we're friends. So, I guess I'm kind of obligated to watch out for her." He paused, snickered a bit, then continued, "After all, she's going to need someone to keep giving her little pushes."

Hinata laughed as well. "I'm glad it's all working out now, though!" he announced.

"Ah, you mean with that King?" Kuroo drawled. "Heh. It feels like forever since I first thought of them as a couple. Maybe they'll be together by the next time I see them."

Silence fell over the trio, just for a brief second, but in that second, the entire air darkened.

"I'm gonna kill him," Kuroo deadpanned.

Hinata cracked his knuckles. "I'm rooting for them, but I'm gonna punch him, too."

"Pfft. As if you could aim a hit on His Majesty." Tsukishima rolled his eyes, but he didn't tell either of them that they were being idiots.

* * *

"Achoo!"

The ball fell to the floor of the gym as Kageyama missed his toss. He wiped at his nose, wondering if he was getting sick.


End file.
